Fair and Foul
by kingsmeadroad
Summary: The BAU have seen the worst of humankind, but what happens when the darkness comes inside the walls and they themselves are victimised? No longer able to pretend, the unit changes as perspectives shift...Hotch/Prentiss.
1. Chapter One The Shakespeare Killer

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Criminal Minds related. Characters are merely borrowed and will be put back later. ;)**

**A/N:**This is rated T at the moment, but note that there are some gory images in this text. I'm going along with the idea that you've all seen the show and this is nowhere near as bad as some of the stuff on there. In your reviews, please tell me if you think the rating is adequate. And also, please review and we'll see where we can take this. :)

**Fair and Foul**

**Chapter One- The Shakespeare Killer**

_"Fair is foul, and foul is fair;  
Hover through the fog and filthy air."-_

_William Shakespeare._

The walls were daubed with reddened letters, proud and remorseless. Emily Prentiss had seen many things in her time. What she had never seen before, was such an outwardly calm protest against humanity. The words were ones she knew well.

It wasn't the words that bothered her. What bothered her, though she would never let it show, was that the unsub had stabbed the woman now slumped on the floor, pulled her intestines out with a ferocious and fatally accurate twist of his blade, and then pinned them to the wall around the words he had callously already drawn using her crudely amputated hand- which, judging by the calling from the bathroom, Reid had just found in the sink.

Emily sighed and looked away. It was the third one of the same pattern. Same MO, same victimology, same profoundly disgusting smell in the room. And still, no clues. No connections between the three girls that Garcia could find. What seemed plain was that they were all in their early to mid 30s, all brunette, all outgoing with no personal issues- and all dead.

Morgan came up behind her and nudged her, his bloody latex gloves still on his hands. This time, he had gotten the job of checking the body out, while Prentiss got to stand by and contemplate. "Any thoughts?" he muttered to her, watching Reid place the severed hand into an evidence bag out of the corner of his eye.

"Nothing stable. What strikes me as odd is that with no sexual assault, he kidnaps these girls and keeps them for three days before killing them. Why bother? He leaves messages that make no sense- this one is a perfect example- and he leaves no clue of who he is or what he is, where he might be or why he's doing this."

Rossi walked in holding a file as she finished and added more to the conversation. "I can't decide whether he's a sadist or not. Did the intestines fall out, and did he then use them? Or did he go about it to make it that way? We still don't know."

Emily's cell phone rang and she picked it up. "Prentiss." She excused herself and left the two men studying the scene.

Derek continued on: "He was exceptionally clean. It looks as though he at very least tidied up after himself. He took the time to daub the letters on the wall- but he didn't do it with his own hand. Why that?"

Prentiss came back into the room. "That was Hotch. He's on his way. He said that the mortician called. According to Dr. Malone, each of the girls was alive when the intestines were removed from their bodies. Cause of death in each was bleeding from the superior mesenteric artery."

Reid approached and explained to them as he walked that that particular artery supplied the blood to the intestines, and then he simply kept talking, as per usual- "He has a type. That much is clear. Ashley Moore, Jackie Ramone and Tina Gray were all brunette, all in their thirties and all lead workers at their respective companies", he finished.

Derek looked at the wall. The long text was written in small letters, but Reid couldn't establish any handwriting analysis, because it wasn't accurate; a different hand had been used to write the words.

"So what do those words mean?" he asked softly, recalling them from memory as every one of the team could-

"Out, Out, brief candle!

Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player.

That struts and frets his hour upon the stage.

And then is heard no more...."

"Shakespeare. Act Five, Scene Five, Macbeth. When he says those words, Macbeth is thinking about the death of his wife; her lost life is the candle burning out. She and Macbeth are both players on the stage, but the curtains have closed on her. They've lied their way to the top throughout the story- deceit and ambition got them there. Interestingly, Lady Macbeth is a very noteworthy villain. She manipulated, was attached to the supernatural and lost all confidence in the face of her various treacherous deeds. Also-"

"Reid. Enough." Said the quiet but familiar voice of Aaron Hotchner. Without stopping to say hello, he kept talking as he came into the room. "If he's talking Shakespeare, then we have to go to the original crime scenes. I'm willing to bet that he left other messages- albeit more subtle ones- tat those too."

"Hotch" muttered Reid, "Maybe there's something else about this quote. If he's using it in the way it's meant to be used, he's making a commentary about life in general. We all have our moment on the stage. But this quotes infers it to be meaningless, hopeless and worthless. That might be the message he's passing on."

"Makes sense", said Emily. "It means he's not so much a sadist as a mission based killer. He sees life as worthless and is determined to prove that. But he only proves it with brunette women in their 30s. Maybe he was ditched by one and feels that her life is worthless?"

Hotch nodded in agreement. "Let's take the crime scenes. Dave, go with Morgan to the Ramone House. Prentiss and I will go to Tina Gray's apartment and Reid, head back to JJ and stay near the line to Garcia. I have a feeling we'll need you guys before too long."

The team split up and headed their opposite directions. Emily and Hotch headed down the stairs of the apartment block while Morgan and Rossi took the elevator. Hotch hated elevators, always had. What he didn't know was that Emily hated them too.

They were moving fast because they knew that this guy could have another girl chosen already. They had to find her, and find him, within three days. With nothing to go on and no profile made just yet, they needed more information. And fast.

"Do you think he's using the quote as a theatrical aspect? Or does it really mean something? Maybe he's just trying to catch our eye and taunt us?" she suggested.

"It's a possibility. It depends on what we find at the other homes. There's no way of knowing until then. This guy is highly intelligent and clearly very motivated. He cleans, he makes a point and he leaves again. Noone hears the woman scream and there are no forced entries. Yet Garcia can't find a connection. We have nothing to go on to find him."

"One thing's for sure- he won't stop until we stop him", Emily intoned.

They were just at the top of the last flight, still moving fast, when she slipped. Her heel simply slipped on the industrial iron step and her foot crashed against the side of it. She yelled ever so slightly as she went down, hitting Hotch in the back as he instinctively reached to grab her.

It was too late though. She went crashing down the entire flight of stairs. Emily knew nothing other than that her head was banging against the steps and her leg was twisted the wrong way. She could see nothing of interest as she flew past, but she smelled something coppery and tangy. She hit every part of her body against the steps as she went down and even though she tried to stop once or twice, she couldn't. For twenty steps she fell, and it felt like a lifetime. She made no noise, and her head seemed to note the odd silence other than the clanking of her falling.

She landed suddenly, harshly, on the cement ground of the rundown apartment complex's ground floor. She kept her eyes open and tried to not think about the throbbing pain she felt pretty much everywhere. She wasn't sure where Aaron was but she knew that he had to be around here somewhere. There was an odd ringing in her ears and she couldn't hear anything else. Her head was sore already.

Within a few seconds, something slid along next to her as her hearing returned. "Emily! Emily! Emily! Can you hear me?" Hotch called.

She opened her eyes very slowly and looked at him. His brow was crinkled with concern-an expression she rarely saw him wear when he thought about the team- and he was calling her. His hands, she noticed, were running along her legs, then her stomach and breastbone, her shoulders and her arms. When he reached her hand, she closed her fingers suddenly and his eyes, once scanning her for injury, flew back to her face, wide and worried. Her eyes were closed again.

She said nothing for a second and they stayed in silence, his right hand and her left clasped together. She bit her lip as it tried to tremble and then she inhaled quickly, wrenching her eyes open and grasping his hand tightly. "I'm fine."

She began to stumble to her feet, still holding his hand tightly. She was disorientated, almost drunk with dizziness, and he helped her more and more until she was on her feet. He was still holding her hand, and much to her embarrassment, was also holding her gently at the hip, keeping her upright and steady. She was shaking, embarrassed and dizzy, and she felt like throwing up as the room spun around her.

"I have to sit down."

He helped her to the steps again, and lowered her onto the second from the bottom. "Put your head between your legs", he said softly, and she did what she was told. Her world stopped spinning after a few seconds, but she was breathing heavily. She was out of sorts and disorientated- and would be, he suspected, for another few hours at least. He rested his shoulder against the banister. She let out a very sudden noise and he was hunched on his knees in front of her within a moment. "Emily. What hurts?" he asked as she raised her head. She was pale and looked troubled, so he rested his hand gently against the side of her face.

She grabbed his hand and exhaled. "Aaron, what is that?" she asked, mildly disgusted. He followed her eye line down to the shadows underneath the steps in the simply lit corridor. She stood up, her mind instantly back on the case, and pulled a single glove out of her pocket. She handed it to Hotch as he crept under the steps and a moment later he emerged with a small, shiny, blood stained necklace with the letter "A" dangling from it.

"There's blood on it. He must have dropped it on his way out, so this is the way he left," Emily noted. She dialled a number on her cell and told Reid, on the other end of the phone, to check the stairwell with a Crime Scene team for any clues as to the killer's identity. "If he left the necklace, maybe he left something else too", she murmured as she hung up. "Exactly." Said Hotch, "But it still doesn't answer how he was so careless. He takes trophies. This was his first mistake. We have to work out what happened here- and we have to find out what he took from both Tina and Jackie that we haven't found yet."

"Okay, let's go." Emily said and turned to leave. Aaron caught her arm and the steely glint in his eye from their most recent discovery was gone, replaced with the gentle support of a friend. "Are you sure? Reid can come with me if you'd prefer. You had a bad shock, and I-"

"I'm fine Hotch. Really, honestly, I'm fine. Let's go, before this son of a bitch gets some other girl."

As they moved to the SUV, they were both silent. Emily knew that she had hurt her head and that she had been dizzy and scared for a moment, but she was determined to get back to work. She wasn't going to be a victim and she already regretted him having to help her get up after she fell. It wasn't professional and it stung that she needed to depend on someone to be alright again. And even if she did need someone- did it have to be Aaron Hotchner?

***

They pulled into the driveway outside of Tina Gray's house. It was a pretty house, she had made the most of her success and they knew that the crime scene was as it had been- the children had not been in the house on that night and Tina's husband had refused to stay in the house once the crime was done.

Hotch opened the front door after tearing away the CSI tape and stepped inside. He had never been at this crime scene before and he was determined to be as professional and capable as he could about it- even in the knowledge that Emily was right next to him and he was worried about her. He knew from the photographs where the crime had been committed and instantly headed upstairs. He talked as he went.

"So he somehow managed to get inside this house, where he walked up the stairs and killed Tina. Again, nobody heard her scream and there were no complaints of noise registered. The dog was asleep outside and didn't make a sound. How did he creep up on her in the middle of the day in a pleasant upper middle class residential area?" he thought aloud.

The stepped into the room and Emily immediately began searching- though neither was sure of what they were looking for, or even if they would find it, it only took a few seconds for Emily to find the message she needed to see.

"Hotch, over here," she said from the window sill. "Why did nobody mention this?"

He walked toward her while still thinking and immediately saw what she saw. "Obviously nobody looked", he said softly. He thought it was negligent of whoever had searched the room that they'd not noticed the steady line of blood trickling from the jewellery box. The unsub had taken a piece of jewellery- and left a message in its place in the box.

"Hotch, this is ridiculous. It's printed so we can't do any handwriting analysis and it's another quote. Reid will be able to tell us what it's from."

Within a minute, they were on the phone and had sent pictures to Garcia. "Looks like our unsub did a cleanup job, but obviously had blood on his hands when he took whatever piece of jewellery he took. He couldn't get the blood off of the jewellery box- or maybe he didn't want to? He might have thought that when they saw it, the police and crime scene guys would have thought to look in there. Might be why he got more obvious the next time- he needs the recognition, the local media are calling him the Shakespeare Killer. JJ's trying to work that out with them right now."

"Okay Reid, so can you tell us what the quote is from?," Emily asked.

"Yes, it's from Othello, another Shakespeare play.

"For when my outward action doth demonstrate  
The native act and figure of my heart..

I will wear my heart upon my sleeve  
For daws to peck at: I am not what I am."

The character speaking here is Iago, the deceiver of men and women alike who destroys as he sees fit with no remorse and no pity. Iago is known as one of the greatest villains in the literary world. He notes here that he will eventually show his true colours for all the world to see and he will lay his deeds bare. He says that he's not what he seems- honest, loyal, truthful and just."

When he stopped talking, Hotch inhaled slowly. "Reid, have we any idea what any of this means?"

"Not really. I'd prefer to wait to see if Rossi and Morgan come up with anything at the Ramone house. It's hard to see where this unsub is going with these messages. Either he's highly intelligent and has them worked into something stronger or he just wants our attention."

"Fine. I'll head back to the base with Prentiss. We'll see you soon. Call when the others check in."


	2. Chapter Two Out Out

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Criminal Minds related. Characters are merely borrowed and will be put back later. ;)**

**Fair and Foul**

**Chapter Two- Out, Out-**

"_Stars, hide your fires!  
Let not light see my black and deep desires."_

_William Shakespeare_

Within five minutes, they were back at HQ with evidence bagged and no further ideas as to what was going on. Emily was sitting quietly rather than contributing to the conversation and Hotch noticed. He asked to talk to her for a minute and puller her outside the door of the Police Chief's office.

"Emily."

She loved when he used her first name. It meant that he wasn't doing this professionally. He was ridiculously easy to profile. Not that she had ever actually sat down and thought it through. But to her, he was as easy to read as an open book.

"What?"

"Tell me you're alright," he said softly.

"Hotch, I'm fine. Really. It was just a minor fall. I got dizzy. There was no blood, I don't feel weird and I just want to do my job."

"I appreciate that you think I'm nagging you. But you got much more than dizzy Emily. You almost passed out."

"Hotch, I'm fine. I swear. Can we please go back to work?" she turned to leave and he caught her hand as she went.

"You will tell me, won't you, if you don't feel well?"

"I'll tell you Aaron, I will."

***

Rossi and Morgan arrived about ten minutes later. Reid turned and asked them had they found anything worth talking about.

"Sure. Another quote, kid. I hope you can work it out," muttered Morgan. "He had it placed quite obviously next to a vase in the bedroom where he killed Jackie Ramone. It's typed, like from an old style typewriter. Hotch, people don't use those anymore."

Hotch nodded. "He really won't show his handwriting. So what's the quote?"

Morgan shook his head and answered,

"When sorrows come, they come not single spies,  
But in battalions."

I don't know what that means."

"No, but I do," murmured Reid. "It's from Hamlet, and it's Claudius talking. Again, Claudius is the villain of the play and since the Ramone house was the scene of the first crime, it's fair to say that he's warning us. He's used the villains of three of Shakespeare's greatest tragedies to leave messages for us. He tells us there will be more victims, then that he is not what he may seem to be, and finally that life is worthless and useless. It's worth noting that these are tragedies. Hamlet, Macbeth and Othello all died in the play they're featured in following their own mistakes and triumphs. This unsub is taking on the persona of the Shakespearian villain- complex, Machiavellian and decrepit at best."

Reid paused to take a breath and Rossi stepped in. "It's worth noting that he took trophies. We know that he keeps them to relive the thrill. But I'm willing to bet that this guy is highly intelligent, in his 30s, strong but with a disability- he never writes things down like other unsubs like to do to assert control. I think he has an injury or a disability that prevents him from writing- but he's not illiterate if he can read and comprehend Shakespare."

Hotch continued, "He takes quotes from well known plays but picks them for a reason. The girls he chooses, are his sexual type, but he needs the kill to try to satisfy himself- he may be impotent, hence the lack of sexual assault. He is sadistic- but he also falters. He waits three days. There are no signs of remorse once he's finished. This guy probably studied English in College but fell off the grid along the way. He feels unwanted and forgotten- and was likely put down at some stage by a brunette. She might have been his first kill. See if we can tie Jackie Ramone to anyone just before her death. He needed a stressor, she might be it."

Morgan interjected "Hang on. We've already looked at Jackey Ramone. We found nothing. Why don't we just try a list of hand injuries? These things are always kept in records because of exam help, special allowances, that kind of thing. If he fell off the grid, maybe he fell off of it because of his lack of ability with communication."

Rossi agreed that that was the way to go and Garcia began her search. They stood by, waiting, knowing that it would only take her moments- and sure enough, just a minute into their silent weariness with this case, she was back on the line. "There are literally, thousands of students needing help with their studies- can you give me a particular year or anything?"

"Well," Emily noted, "we know that he's likely in his mid thirties. It's 2009 now, he would have been in high school maybe 13-14 years ago. Check that. And I imagine it would be a public school. The women he targeted were upper middle class and had private educations. He lays scorn on them and displays a lack of remorse. He cleans out of habit, not respect- so I doubt he had the privileges that some of these women have had."

"Okay, public schools in that area of Philly show five results for the person you described. Is there any way to cut that down?" Garcia asked. She was nervous, and had had just about enough of looking at these particularly graphic crime scene photos.

"I'm not sure," Hotch said. "We can maybe add to what we have- if he takes trophies than he is a sexual sadist. He keeps them for a reason and doesn't leave them as a message; we only got lucky with the last one, which he dropped on his way out. As to why he keeps them for three days... I agree that it's because he hesitates and falters- but what if he's also waiting for them to submit to him, which gives him the power to overtake them? That might be what he's looking for. He's so interested in them that he gets his satisfaction from seeing them beg. It's huge overkill, telling us that he's in a serious rage. The trophies remind him of his kills and he can relive the crimes. He leaves the messages and the intestines as a message of his anger and hatred for these women."

"He's highly intelligent and not uncalm or impatient." Rossi said, "So why drop the necklace? Did she fight back too much? Did she not submit and did she freak him out? It must be something like that- she made him angrier than he was at the other crime scenes. Hence the added overkill."

"In order to so cleanly remove the intestines and make sure that death was caused by that movement, he must have some kind of medical or biological training. Someone who showed strength and smartness, but failed when it came to performing tasks. Anything, Garcia?"

"Yes, yes! This guy, this guy here, Nathan White. He had a hand injury just as he was finishing his final exams in High School. He got into college and spent a year studying English literature before he had to drop out as a result of that same injury."

"When was that Garcia?" asked Morgan.

"13 years ago, 1996. Wait... it says that he enrolled in college for a second time as a mature student- a year ago. So he stayed for a year and then over the past few weeks has been killing women and treating them like this- that must be it!" Garcia trilled.

"Sounds like the stressor alright. Where can we find this guy Garcia?"

"I'll give you the current address- 413, Park House Avenue."

"That's about three miles from each of the three residences- it fits perfectly!" Reid said. "He wrote that "I am not what I am." Maybe he was talking about the injury!"

The team split into two groups and filed into SUVs. Before five minutes had passed, they were on their way to the house of the Shakespeare Killer.

***

"D'you think he's in there?" Rossi asked quietly. The house was old but clean- something Hotch had expected based on the killings- and the small garden was tidy if lacking in colour and charm. "I'm not sure. We'e had no missing person reports- he's not taken another woman yet, so he might actually be here."

They watched as Prentiss and Morgan approached the door, while the local PD stayed back. Morgan kicked the door open after yelling "FBI!" three times and calling Nathan White's name. Emily dashed in the door in front of him, returned to her usual self, and immediately cleared the room they were in.

They moved throughout the house, which was in darkness as twilight fell. Shadows were falling and she was conscious that this man was intelligent and capable of outsmarting them if he had to. She was pretty sure though, that it wasn't going to get to that. She could see light from a room up ahead and she moved towards it. Morgan stood at the side of the door, looked at her, and called out once more. "Nathan White! We know you're in there man! FBI, come out with your hands up!"

They both knew that he had no intention of coming out, but they kept yelling. They had no way of knowing what he was doing in there.

***

But out on the street, Rossi had it all worked out. He had been thinking that there was something off about the entire operation.

"Hotch! Pull them out of there! He's not going to come out easily, he'll go down fighting! And if he's anything of a good offender, he won't give up without taking someone else with him!"

Hotch looked at him and grabbed his earpiece- "Prentiss? Prentiss, are you there? You and Morgan need to get out of there, now! Prentiss?! Emily!"

Aaron Hotcher began to run, ripping his earpiece out and yanking his jacket off.

The house exploded when he was still 1000 yards away.

***


	3. Chapter Three Choices Made

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Criminal Minds related. Characters are merely borrowed and will be put back later. ;)**

**Fair and Foul**

**Chapter Three-Choices Made**

"_No man is an Island, entire of itself. Every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, we are the less."_

_John Donne_

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

"She's back."

"Get her to the OR. Now!"

Everything was fuzzy and dull. She couldn't make sense of anything. She felt herself being lifted- primarily because it hurt so damn much, and a tear broke free of her left eye and trickled down her cheek- and then put down again. She welcomed that relief, but she was aware that something was seriously wrong.

She was moving now, though not by herself. Someone was pushing her along while she was lying down. A door opened and she noticed the change of decor, but it meant nothing to her. And then something she recognised- a face.

"Aagghn.."

Hotch grabbed her hand and leaned over her as she was moving. "Emily... You're alright. You'll be fine, just focus on fighting, okay? You'll be fine..."

He wiped the tear from her cheek. Darkness fell again.

***

He wanted to cry, he really did. His jacket was lying on the ground somewhere near the crime scene and he remembered almost nothing of his fight to keep her alive in the immediate aftermath of what had happened. His ears hurt all over again and he was conscious that he looked awful. There was blood on his rolled up white shirt sleeves, his bare forearms bruised, bloody and raw. He had a burn on the side of his face and every few seconds he left out a small cough- a remainder of the smoke he had been inhaling just moments before.

He couldn't take it anymore. The memories flooded back, but it made no difference. Aaron Hotchner couldn't think it through now. He could see Rossi running toward him, almost as though in slow motion, through the hospital hall. But he couldn't hold on, and he slumped against the wall, sliding to the floor and passing out into blissful darkness and the bitter sting of a memory he half wished he didn't have. Had he made the right choice?

***

"_Hotch! Where are you-? Dammit Hotch, you can't put yourself in danger!"_

_Aaron felt Rossi running after him and then the house exploded outward. Fire engulfed the lower windows and smoke rose quickly. Terrified, he jumped over an overturned trash can and ran even faster toward the house. He had to get them out. He had to, there was no question of that._

_Rossi stopped, and pulled out his cell phone as Reid joined his side. "What do we do Rossi?"_

"_We can't do anything kiddo. We have to wait. He'll get them. But even if he doesn't, we can still only wait. I can't let anyone else go in there. I'll call for a response"_

_Aaron reached the front door, half off its hinges from where Morgan had kicked it, and he pushed it open. Immediately he was met with a lot of smoke, heat and debris. Papers floated around him, his lungs already felt parched and he moved toward the stairs as fast as he could- conscious that at any moment they could collapse on top of him, killing both him and his two agents upstairs._

_He accidentally touched the banister and pulled his hand away when a hissing burn etched itself into his palm. He covered his mouth with his hand as best he could and called, half choking, for his team._

"_Emily! Emily! Derek!"_

_Panicking, he took the stairs two at a time, being as light footed as he could and avoiding the small flames that had burst out here and there along the steps. He reached the top, coughing and spluttering, and promptly fell over, thumping his head against the burning remains of a plastic dish. His cheekbone hurt like hell immediately but he got back up, cutting his arm against a piece of jagged metal. He forced himself on, crawling where he had to, until he reached the corner of the corridor._

_That's where he found Derek, lying as though dead, passed out and bleeding on the floor. "Derek!" Aaron shook him harshly, trying to wake him up. He didn't seem too badly injured and with relatively minor injuries- cuts, bruises, small burns, Aaron was almost certain that he had just hit his head and fallen unconscious. The blood was from a wound in his side and it looked deep, but not life threatening._

_Unsure of what to do, Aaron had to fight himself internally. Should he find her? Or should he take Morgan out?_

_He thought about it for a split second and decided that he had to save whatever or whoever he could. And that meant he had to get Morgan out of there. Pulling the other man up and propping him against his body, Aaron made a move toward the stairs._

_He got down them, though he could never be sure of how he managed it. He pushed Derek toward the front door as the younger (and heavier!) man began coughing and spluttering. "Derek, get out of here!" Hotch yelled as Morgan came round. Rossi was now standing near the door and as Hotch got to it, Rossi grasped Morgan's hand and arm, pulling him outside and laying him on the unburned grass of the outside garden. He yelled for Reid to help him because Hotch was already gone back inside._

"_Jesus, Aaron, you can't save everyone!" Rossi yelled._

_Hotch ignored him and pounded back toward the stairs, yanking his sleeves up as he went. Just as he got there and he was feeling hopeful, the stairs collapsed inward, throwing a tumult of smoke, dust and half burned objects over him. He had no way to get upstairs. Coughing, tears streaming down his face from the smoke, and unsure of what to do, he struggled around on the ground floor until he couldn't breathe any longer. Fighting the darkness, he moved back to where the stairs had been._

_He had no choice. He had already waited too long. And so he did the stupidest thing he had ever done in his life, desperation and adrenaline taking over as he grabbed the banisters and began his ascent that way. It was insanely stupid to attempt it and he hadn't thought about how he would get back down, but he had to find her._

"_Em-" he coughed, "Emily!!"_

_No response._

"_Emily!!!"_

_Still nothing._

_And in the split silence that followed, Hotch knew that he was most definitely out of time. Unable to see and able to hear nothing but the roaring silence of a fire raging, he tried to hang onto the banisters as blood trailed down his arm. He just couldn't hold on. He heard a creak- a bigger one than what he had been hearing generally, and a feeling of morbid despair washed over him. _

_With a devastating crash, most of the first floor of the house came falling down. The banister he was clinging to fell backwards as the house caved in. Something sharp and white hot hit his side and he cried out as burning timber landed on and around him. Trapped beneath it, he struggled to breathe and stay awake .Aghast, he knew that this was his last chance. He pushed his way out of the wreckage by sheer will alone and clambered over pieces of timber, part of a bathtub and sink and the remains of a shelving unit, books and pictures tossed from it onto the floor and flaming, before he saw blood._

_For the first time in many years, Aaron Hotchner prayed. Let it not be her. He made all sorts of deals and bargains in his head, all kinds of hopelessness flying around in his brain._

_And just as he stumbled past a final obstacle- part of a door, he saw a hand jutting from under a stack of rubble about four feet to his right. Emily._

_He forced himself on again, determined that he would get her, and get out. He couldn't call for her anymore, his lungs were parched and he was dizzy now. He had literally seconds to spare._

_He reached her and pulled her as much as he dared. Pushing parts of a window and random, sooty debris from her frame, he pushed the hair from her face and saw that her eyes were open and she was looking at him._

"_Aar- Aaron..."_

_He leaned over and hugged her- something he would usually never do. He still had to get her out. He managed, though he would never recall how, to lift her up and pull her close. He pulled her to the side, fitting her into his arms and lifting her feet from the ground._

_He moved as quickly as he could, though the heat was unbearable and he knew she was in a bad way. His side burned as he moved and he was conscious that he was bleeding. When he reached the front of the house by where the stairs once was, he felt another creak under his feet and knew that the house was just about to come down on top of him._

_He ran for the door- literally ran- and made it through, crashing into Dave and pulling Emily to the ground with the two of them just as the house crashed to the ground, burying in the rubble the remains of the Shakespeare Killer._

***

"Aaron! Wake up!"

He struggled to make his eyes open, and after two or three tries, he succeeded. He yanked his head up, only to be shoved back down again by a familiar hand. "Dave", he murmured, "Tell me that I've only been out for five minutes and that everyone's okay."

"You've been out for eight hours and everyone's fine."

Hotch turned to look at him. "Really?"

"Yup. We just got the message a few hours ago that Emily's out of surgery and Morgan's already checked himself out of the hospital. They're keeping you here overnight Aaron. Don't fight them on that. It will do you some good. You did something incredibly brave- and you're paying for it now."

Hotch said nothing. Rossi knew exactly what he was thinking. He wasn't a profiler for nothing.

"Hotch, you did the right thing. Under those circumstances, it's exactly what I would have done. You found Morgan first. He's the better for it. There was nothing else for you to do. It was one or the other. And she's strong, she'll pull through and she'll be just fine."

"But I still left her there. I left her there Dave, and I had no way of knowing if I could get back there to her." He muttered, angry with himself.

"You did get back there. The paramedics said that without you, they were both goners. There was no way that the responders would get there in time. You saved them both Aaron."

Hotch didn't really know what to say, and Rossi knew that pressing the point was hopeless. Aaron would always blame himself for what transpired. He made a choice- the right choice- and Rossi knew that everyone agreed about that. His cell rang, so he left the room to take the call.

Hotch was left lying on his own in his hospital room; left to think. He considered that he had in all likelihood made the right choice- even though his face was burned, his arms red raw and bruised, his chest back and hip were bleeding though he didn't know how that had happened, and his head was throbbing painfully. The sting of the burns kept him awake when he might have gone back to sleep and he knew that this entire incident was going to mean some serious paperwork.

Morgan was the one who next came through the door. He pulled a seat next to the bed Hotch was lying in and cleared his throat.

"Listen, Hotch... in all sincerity, thanks. You saved my life out there. We never made a full profile and we hadn't thought it through. He was definitely in there, we assumed with a gun. We never would have said he had a bomb Hotch, it was unexpected. You got us out. And I know you hurt yourself doing it, so thanks, man."

Hotch just looked at him. "You would have done the same for me."

"Hell yes I would. But I wasn't the one who was put in that position."

"Maybe not. But we're a team and we operate as a whole. I wasn't going to lose anyone. I can't face that.

Morgan wasn't going to argue the toss. He left Hotch a few seconds later.

And seconds after that, Hotch left too, determined to see how injured Emily was.

***

Emily came to without really knowing what was going on. At first she was confused, and then in a brief moment of fitful clarity, she knew exactly where she was and why she was there. She remembered odd portions of the explosion- being thrown off her feet, landing in a heap, not being able to get back up again, not seeing Morgan, fire everywhere, a lot of crashing and then, finally, Hotch's arms wrapped around her, where she felt safe.

But piecing the rest of it together was hopeless. She tried to concentrate on what was around her. It was a hospital without a doubt. She hated hospitals almost as much as she hated politics. She couldn't feel anything, but she could see her own arms and hands. She knew that she was injured, but she wasn't burned. Her head was a spinning, and she knew she had had surgery, though what for she couldn't know. How was she going to find out?

Deciding to assert her independence, she moved her head ever so slightly, stopping when it got too sore and when she got too dizzy. She turned her head towards the door and saw one Aaron Hotchner looking in at her. She wasn't sure whether to smile or cry and she didn't know why she wasn't sure.

And now he was standing in her door, watching her every movement. It wasn't awkward so much as tense. Neither of them truly knew what to say. So she spoke first.

"I don't really know how it happened, but you got me out. Thank you. I have a funny feeling that I otherwise wouldn't be here," she said softly, hoarsely.

"We're a team and we stick together. I had to get you out. My only regret is that I didn't find you sooner."

"Nobody expected us to survive. Derek called by and he's fine, that means that you saved us both. You won with the worst hand that could have been dealt. Don't beat yourself up about a few scratches and burns- it could have been much worse."

He glanced at her eyes as he ambled into the room and sat down on the chair next to her bed. He put his head in his hands and she noted, silently, the cuts and bruises he had sustained for his team. He looked awful; exhausted and desperately lost somehow. If it were Penelope, or JJ, she would have reached out and grabbed his hand.

But it wasn't. So she didn't.

She moved her head again to look at the window, where she was surprised to find that night was falling properly. Within ten minutes it would be dark. She looked back at her boss to find him asleep in the chair. She said nothing and within moments, she too was asleep, the drugs pulling her back into sweet darkness.


	4. Chapter Four Moments

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Criminal Minds related. Characters are merely borrowed and will be put back later. ;)**

**Fair and Foul**

**Chapter Four-Moments**

"_Other things may change us- but we start and end with family."_

_Anthony Brandt_

He had been sitting next to her, cramped in that seat, for almost five hours and dawn was just approaching. After sleeping for four of those hours, his neck was sore and his eyes were tired- not to mention the fact that he had done nothing to help heal the damage to his side. The more he thought about, he realised that the doctors had stitched the burnt cut, which he had gotten somewhere inside that house of horrors.

That house. He was still trying to work out exactly how they had gotten the profile so wrong. And in typical Hotchner style, he was sure that it was he who had missed something and made a mistake, though privately he knew that this was untrue. He knew in fact that nobody had made a mistake. The unsub having a bomb didn't fit the profile at all. He had been trying not to think about it. Nathan White was dead now, there was no more of that case to see- but it irked him that White had tricked them into a profile he didn't fit 100 per cent.

He sighed and turned to look at Prentiss again. The doctors had been pretty clear. She was bruised, shaken up and had suffered concussion. The surgery she had had was invasive and she would need weekss to fully convalesce, although she was doing very well given the circumstances. She had some small burns, all superficial and cosmetically damaging only- but the mental scars of the fire and explosion would stay with her for years to come. They had recommended counselling, and normally Hotch would have agreed- but he knew her too well to think that she would give in to that. Counselling was a concession to human frailty- and Emily Prentiss was not exactly what he would term "frail".

He could see that her hand was bruised and burned- not severely, but nonetheless unpleasant- and he reached out to touch it before he had thought it through. Holding her hand between both of his he stroked her fingers lightly and tried not to lose control. There was still a niggling doubt in his head as to whether he had done the right thing.

"I'm sorry," he murmured. "I'm sorry I didn't find you first..."

Though he would never say that she was worth more to him than Morgan was, he knew that at that moment, she had needed him more- and he wasn't there.

"Stop pitying yourself."

The words snapped him back to reality and he spun, looking at her sharply as she met his eyes in defiance. "I'm serious Hotch. It's not worth it. We're all fine and I know you did the right thing. Stop pitying and doubting yourself, it's useless."

He said nothing, but simply turned back to look at her injured hand, still lightly stroking her fingers. She surprised him by grasping his hand with her own and sighing softly.

"Hey.." she spoke quietly, "there was nothing you could do. I would have made the same choice in your position. I don't see what you did that was so wrong."

"I left you there", he half mewed. "I took him out and I left you there even though you were closer to the entre and obviously in more danger. I left you there."

"You came back."

"But-"

"Aaron."

He glanced at her again. She was holding his hand now, she was doing the comforting- it was an odd role reversal.

"You came back."

He had nothing to say to that, because it was true. He did go back. He hated to think about it, but he had put himself at huge risk to get them out- and if he was honest, he had expected to be finding remains rather than injuries.

"I know."

"So stop stressing. You're making me feel guilty for getting hurt. We did our jobs and you went beyond the call of duty to get us out."

He nodded sadly, trying to stop his lip from trembling. The last thing he wanted was to break down in front of her. Instead he turned to look at her deliberately. The emotion was clear for her to see, and she assumed that it was because he was in a self bullying state. She said nothing about it, but smiled tiredly at him.

"Have the doctors mentioned when I might get out of here?"

"I'm not sure. I was asleep for a few hours so I've heard nothing. They're keeping us both here overnight at least."

"I hate hospitals. I want to get out of here as soon as possible. Take the drugs and leave."

"And go back to living in your house on your own, with a surgery scar that will prevent you from doing anything excessive? I don't think so. You'll need help."

She sighed huffily, well aware that he would be in the same situation.

She just wanted out of the hospital but common sense told her that he was right. They weren't likely to get out of there anytime soon. She was beginning to wonder where the rest of the team had gone, when JJ came through the door.

"You're awake!", she said happily to Emily, and she smiled at Hotch as she stepped into the room. "I just wanted to tell you both that White's car was in the garage, which was relatively untouched by the explosion. We tore the car out and found journals in there detailing what he had done to each of those girls. His remains have been identified and we definitely had the right guy, so the case is closed."

Emily smiled at the blonde woman in front of her. "That's good news JJ. Means we can all stop focusing on him for a while."

JJ smiled kindly. "And you'll both be glad to hear that there are no more cases coming across my desk at the moment so we have some free time. I talked to the doctor on the way in. He said that you're both free to go tomorrow afternoon- as long as you both take care."

Emily grinned widely and Hotch smiled. He wasn't a big fan of hospitals either.

When JJ was gone, there was s brief silence. Neither of them, again, knew what to say. It was easy for them to remain professional when there was a professional atmosphere. But in the hospital, the two of them having shared something so central to survival, meant that perspectives were changing.

Before he could think it through properly, the door burst open and Hotch was astounded to find that his ex wife was standing in the doorway. He glanced at Emily, who had an eyebrow raised, her eyes fixed on Hotch.

Gaping like a fish, Hotch said nothing whatsoever- he made no efforts to ascertain what was going on.

"Aaron, I- I came here as soon as I could. I was at work, I had to find a sitter and I had to fly out here. I'm sorry it took so long," she stumbled the words out- and they sounded sincere.

Aaron wasn't going to pretend he felt nothing for her. She had come so far to see him and she looked genuinely worried. "Haley... We can take this back to my room. Agent Prentiss needs rest."

He kept his eyes locked into Emily's as he left with Haley. Emily wasn't a profiler for nothing- she had seen the worry and fear in Haley's eyes. She knew that Hotch would do anything for his family, and she figured that she knew what Haley was there to do- talk him out of the BAU again.

Sighing, she lapsed into non concentration and just lay idle.

Thank God she would be out of here tomorrow.

***

"Haley, I don't understand why you're so worried." Hotch said softly. "There's nothing wrong. This is part of the job," he continued.

Ever since they had returned to his room, she had been crying and sobbing and saying that she didn't want to lose him and she didn't want her son to end up without a father.

"You promised that you would be careful; that you would be there for him. And yet you spend your time at the office even more than before. You're isolated and alone, you have no friends, you spend your life caught up in the breeze of danger and you don't care about us at all. I was worried Aaron. I thought you might be dead and-"

"Haley. I'm fine. I don't know what you want me to say... It was a bomb. Two of my people got caught inside. I went to get them out."

"You're being blasé about this Aaron! You could have died! Left me here with a son to rear without you! Jack wouldn't have a father!"

That stopped Aaron in his tracks. He knew what she was getting at.

"What do you want me to do, Haley?"

"Leave the BAU. For Jack. For your son!"

Hotch sat down in the nearest chair and buried his head in his hands. He was still wearing the same bloody shirt from the previous day and he was still tired, worn out and, now that he thought about it, hungry. He didn't have time to play this game with her.

"Haley, I can't leave this job. You always said I was married to my work. I take time off for Jack as often as I can. But my job is my job. We've been through this. There is no way I can leave. My team needs me."

"Yes, obviously. You'll run into a burning building for them, but you're not there for Jack when he needs you." Her tone was acidic, raging and cold. Hotch didn't know what else to say. He didn't want a fight.

"Aaron... If you loved your son, you would have fought for him. You would have dragged me through the courts to keep him with you. Why didn't you do that? Do you not care about him?"

That was the breaking point for Hotch.

"You asked me not to contest the divorce! You asked me to sign those papers- for Jack! You asked me to make it as painless as possible- so I did. I did that for you! For you and Jack, because that's what you said you wanted! What more can I give you? You got what you wanted while I see my son grow up on videos and in pictures because when I'm available to have Jack, you're too bitter to allow me see him."

He stopped, angry and upset. He was standing- though he didn't remember when he had gotten to his feet- and his knuckles were white against his sides.

Haley was looking at him, not saying a word. She didn't look upset. She didn't look angry. She looked indifferent, apathetic and entirely calm now.

"You'll never change Aaron. Never." She got up to leave, but before she walked away from him, she turned with a final remark.

"Jack turns four next week. I don't want to see you on that day."

And she was gone, the door slamming against the wall as she marched out.

***

Emily had gotten bored and wandered from her room. She couldn't help but hear the yelling in the room down the hall- and she knew exactly who was in there and why they were yelling. She sighed and turned to go down another corridor, not wanting to hear anything she didn't need to.

Just as she turned the corner to leave the corridor, the door to that room burst open and Haley walked out, tears streaming down her blotchy, angry face. She didn't seem to see Emily- not that she would have said hello anyway, Emily theorised- but Emily could see Hotch standing inside the door of the room, looking out, saying nothing, doing nothing. Barely moving.

Worried, she walked back to that door and tapped the frame gently.

"Hey. Hotch. Hey!"

His eyes, once focused on the spot where Haley had stood just moments before, re-registered and focused on her instead. The lump in his throat wouldn't go away for some reason- had he just lost his son?- and his eyes were blurring over.

Emily stepped inside and closed the door quietly. "Aaron, sit down."

Without thinking, he did what he was told. She sat in the chair next to his and just as he started to sob, she wrapped an arm around his shoulder and stroked his back for a few moments, pulling him closer to her. When he tried to talk, she shushed him.

She wasn't sure how long she sat with him like that- she suspected no more than a minute or so- but he calmed down pretty quick, the logical side to him taking over.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"It doesn't matter. She looked upset and you looked floored. I came to check you were okay."

"I'm fine." His voice was slightly stronger now.

"No, you're not fine. I heard what she said. She doesn't want you to see Jack. I wouldn't be fine."

He smiled to himself. This was a perceptive woman. And if only she knew, that ever since she had joined the team and earned his respect, he had come to like her more and more. Eventually he would have done anything for her, and he knew that it was because he was devastatingly attracted to her.

"I'll work it out with her once she's gotten over the shock of me telling her I won't leave the BAU again." His voice was bittersweet and he sighed. She knew what he had given up for the job- hell, she knew what she had given up for the job- no romance, no social life, no prospective future because she had disobeyed the chain of command. She sighed along with him.

But inside, there was a sense of relief. He was staying with the team- with her.

***

Within a few hours, they were both itching to leave. They had spent pretty much all of that time together, making small talk about books and films, nothing specific- and no mention of the troubles they were each suffering internally.

They each had only the clothes they had when they had made it to the hospital and they were each tired, worn down and sore. Nonetheless, when Morgan came to pick them up, they enthusiastically greeted him and carefully got into the SUV he would drive them to the hangar in.

The jet- and the team- were waiting for them. They were going back to Virginia. Back to the BAU- and to Strauss, who would try to have their heads for this latest disaster.


	5. Chapter Five Where Loyalties Lie

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Criminal Minds related. Characters are merely borrowed and will be put back later. ;)**

**Fair and Foul**

**Chapter Five-Where Loyalties Lie**

"_When you're part of a team, you stand up for your teammates. Your loyalty is to them. You protect them through good and bad, because they'd do the same for you.__"_

_Yogi Berra_

On the relatively short flight from Philadelphia to Virginia, Morgan and Rossi napped while JJ sat up talking quietly to Reid, who was reading through some of the next files she would decide on. Across the way, in a double seat, Hotch and Emily were slumped low, sleeping softly. Emily's head was on Hotch's shoulder, and his head was resting against hers. JJ had never seen her boss looking so calm and collected. He often napped on flights home- but usually his brow would still be furrowed with worry. Today, he was relaxed and entirely calm.

JJ also noted that neither of the two of them had changed clothes yet. Rossi had collected their overnight bags from the hotel and checked them out of their respective rooms. The media had caught on to the fact that members of the BAU had been injured in the takedown of the Shakespeare Killer. Rossi and JJ had decided that releasing a statement was pointless and would achieve nothing- it was for Hotch, Emily and Derek to decide how they would recuperate- and Rossi felt that that was simply nobody else's business.

JJ's laptop was open in front of her and a call from Garcia was incoming. JJ shook her head. "If this is about Morgan again..." Reid looked up from a file he had been skimming. "Hmm?" JJ shook her head at his lack of observance, and pressed a button on the laptop. Garcia flashed up on screen.

"Jayjie! Is he okay?"

"Garcia! This is the fourth time you've called! He's fine, he's just napping." JJ tried not to giggle at Garcia's over protective streak. Having said that, the stunt Derek had pulled with the Ambulance bomb in New York was a valid cause for Garcia's concern.

Garcia continued quietly, "What about Emily? And the Boss-man?"

"Both sleeping. They look tired, but they both have to come to BAU for debriefing. I'm guessing that Strauss wants to talk to them as soon as they arrive."

"Yuppers. She's been hanging around here all morning. It's driving me crazy JJ, if she doesn't stop, I'll..."

"Tell her we'll be there in about thirty minutes. See you soon."

JJ sighed and was just about to delicately try to wake Hotch and Emily when the job was done for her. The pilot made an announcement that they would be beginning the decent- and that message woke Emily up with a start. Hotch was woken by her waking and though it took them a few seconds, they were both soon wide awake and ready to face Strauss.

***

Getting off the plane was a nightmare. Emily felt her stomach burning as she descended the steps and she secretly was very grateful when Rossi carried her overnight bag for her. She knew that Hotch was suffering too, and noted how determined he was not to let it show.

He had told her that morning that nobody on the team knew that he had a relatively severe wound and 40 stitches. She understood why he kept it from them- even though she also thought he was crazy for taking risks with himself.

The team moved slowly, three of them injured and the others exhausted at the very least. Reaching the door to the main building, they crowded in and took the elevator to their floor, where the welcome doors of the BAU greeted them.

Garcia was hovering by the bullpen and she ran toward them as soon as they made it into the unit. She threw her arms around Morgan and hugged him tightly. He winced, but hugged her back nonetheless, kissed her forehead and told her she was silly for worrying. He wrapped his arm around her waist and moved with her to his desk. They all dropped their bags in random places, as always. Or at least, they attempted to. Before they had fully completed the task of settling in and preparing for the onslaught that they knew was coming their way, Strauss marched into the room and glared at them collectively. JJ turned her back on Strauss and rolled her eyes at Emily. Emily met her eyes warily. She had expected trouble, but Strauss seemed to be in quite the rage.

"Aaron Hotchner. A word."

He had just sat down in Emily's seat to take a rest, conscious that the steps to his office were going to be a trial. Now he had to stand up and make it up those steps and into Strauss' office without so much as a murmur. At that moment, he would have killed to be invisible. He had a duty to do though, and he stood up as quickly as he could, stoically ignoring the hiss from his side.

He turned to face his team before he acknowledged Strauss- which filled them all with intense pride in him- and addressed them. "I don't want you doing too much work", he said generally, although his eyes rested on Emily. "Leave the paperwork that's not necessary. We have an empty weekend to do it. I'll be back in ten minutes, take a break."

He walked calmly and cautiously to the steps where Strauss waited, her high heels digging into the carpet and her face a picture of arrogant impatience. He walked past her into her office and she followed him, closing the door with more force than was truly necessary.

Emily went to get some coffee, her stomach twisting in anticipation. She was positively certain that Hotch was just about to lose his job. She would never forgive herself if that happened.

***

"Take a seat Aaron."

"No thank you, I'll stand." He was the picture of a polite subordinate, but they both got the message. He wasn't going to give in without a fight.

"As you wish. I need to know what happened out there. The media are all over this. I received no call from the team, save a half message from that researcher-"

"Garcia is not a researcher. She's a technical analyst", he corrected automatically.

Strauss was practically breathing fire. "The message I got," she forced onward, "was that you and Agent Prentiss were both fine, having both sustained minor injuries and mild concussions. Agent Morgan, though involved, was uninjured. Is that correct? Because judging by your appearance, it doesn't seem that way."

"It's true. The wounds are minor and the three of us are fit for duty. Agent Prentiss and I didn't get a chance to change clothes- otherwise we would look perfectly adequate."

She sat in her seat. "Please, sit down Aaron."

He cursed her, because now he would have to sit. He managed it without complaint and looked her steadily in the eye.

"Aaron, what happened out there? How did it all go wrong?"

"I can't be sure. We had a profile made, but he was being quite unclear and changeable. He fitted the profile perfectly and we had it all worked out as far as we knew. Nobody expected him to blow himself up. There is no explanation that I can give- and we can't interview him to learn more."

"So how did you end up in the house? I was told in a short report that it was Agents Morgan and Prentiss who were meant to go in."

He hesitated. What to tell her now? His carefully, albeit quickly, crafted story- that they were relatively uninjured- was one he knew Emily would go along with when she was asked. How to explain that he had risked his own life was another issue entirely. He had no choice but to tell the truth.

"I went in after them when Agent Rossi theorised out that the unsub might attempt something more."

Strauss looked at him and sighed.

"Aaron, I can't find those explanations suitable. You deliberately placed yourself in the line of fire, brave-or reckless- though the action doubtless was, and you lost a suspect along the way, thus losing any chance to learn from the experience."

He knew what was coming.

"I'm offering you some free time to consider a transfer. It would be a shame to lose you, but I can't see you with a future at the BAU." She said softly.

"Are you offering, or are you telling me to leave?"

She hesitated now, unsure of what to tell him. "I don't think you can be here. There's an investigation pending- an investigation into your conduct. The team would prefer to have you here, but top brass are having none of it."

He understood. "You're telling me to consider a transfer so that I won't be permanently fired. I have no choice."

She surveyed him for a few seconds.

"No Aaron, I don't believe you have a choice. I'll need your credentials before you leave here today."

He sighed deeply. "How long will the investigation last?"

"A week from today, you'll know their decision."

"And what about Agent Prentiss? I take it she will be staying here?"

Strauss nodded. "Aaron, I think you ought to know that if you are found incompetent, she will be the one to replace you."

Hotch said nothing- there was nothing to say. He stood up, placed his credentials and his ever equipped handgun on the desk.

And then he walked out of her office, for what he assumed would be the last time.

***

When Emily came back from her coffee break, she was told that Hotch had left the building and that Strauss had not yet emerged from her office. Rumours were rife- had Aaron Hotchner been fired?

Within about two hours, their necessary paperwork was completed, though they were all silent and stone faced throughout, barely talking where they would usually pass jokes and comments. Morgan is particular seemed very down in the dumps, and more than once, Reid simply stared into space, thinking idly. JJ took a call from Will and left at 4 in the day, and shortly afterwards Emily knew she couldn't sit there forever.

If he had been fired, it was her fault- and that meant she had to find out what had happened. Just as she was getting up from her seat to go and call him, Strauss came out from her office. "Prentiss?"

Emily turned to face her. "A word in my office, please."

***

Five minutes later, Emily was seated opposite Strauss, anxious and angry at the events of the day. She wasn't in the mood to play political games with Strauss, and she intended to make that known.

"Before we start, I want to reassure you that Agent Hotchner has not been permanently laid off. He's under investigation for a week and could be back as early as Monday next."

Though Emily wanted the weight on her shoulders to lift, it didn't. Conduct investigations never went well- they represented a permanent blight on an agents track record, regardless of the outcome. And she didn't trust a word Strauss said to her anyway.

"The other thing I want to say to you, before I let you go, is that my old offer still stands. You can move as high as you wish within the FBI. But Aaron Hotchner's career will have to come to an end first."

Emily glared at her. "I'm not going to be your-"

"Hear me out, Emily. Listen. If Hotchner's career is finished, then you are the agent who will take his place."

Emily stared at her, openly speechless and amazed.

"Why me? Why not Rossi? Or Morgan?"

"Rossi was in retirement for too long. He's a loose cannon. As for Morgan- his loyalty lies with this team- he refused to take the same job when it was offered to him in New York. He won't be offered again."

Emily shook her head.

"I'm not asking you to make your choice now. Go home and think about it. You have a week."

***

Emily rushed out of there as quickly as she could move. She barely spoke to JJ, didn't say goodbye to Reid or Garcia, nodded at Morgan and thanked Rossi- and then she was gone. The others knew that something big had just happened, but again, they had no way of knowing what was going on. Rumours were, again, rife- had she too been fired? Morgan was wondering was he next, but he was saved the interrogation- Strauss left her office twenty minutes after Emily left the building, looking satisfied and walking with a spring in her step.

***

For her part, Emily wasn't doing so well. She had had to get a taxi to her house and drop her bags to have a shower. It was painful, but she managed. She had to talk to Hotch, so she had- against every piece of advice given to her by the doctors- driven to his house. It was pouring rain, thunder was rolling and lightning was illuminating the sky sharply as she struggled along. Her trousers stuck to her legs, her shirt was destroyed, her shoes were saturated and her hair was clinging to her head with water by the time she walked from her parking space to his front door.

She knocked, breathing heavily and not feeling the best. The door swung open relatively quickly to reveal Aaron Hotchner, wearing grey sweatpants and a white t shirt. He had a towel in his hand and was drying his hair, until he saw who it was and stopped suddenly.

"Emily."

He had, in all truth, left the office so quickly because he was afraid of seeing her. He was conscious of his ambition and he was afraid that he would hate her if he saw her. As soon as he opened the door, he felt a rush of affection, which surprised him. He was happy to see her, there was no point in denying that. She was standing outside his front door, the rain pelting down on her and neither one of them was talking. He had been caught off guard.

"Oh- God- come in, you're soaking."

She nodded and smiled slightly, her eyes never leaving his face. The fact was that she was terrified. She knew, as soon as he answered the door, that he knew she would be the one to take his place if Strauss got her way. Emily wasn't quite sure why she come here. She stepped inside the door and waited, awkwardly, for him to close it quietly behind her.

"Come to the kitchen. I just put on some coffee," he spoke quietly and Emily was aware of the empty silence in the house. It was too big for just one person to live in- and she knew now why he missed Jack every time he had to go home. The house was so empty without a child yelling and giggling.

She followed him to the kitchen and saw signs of Jack everywhere- pictures stuck to the fridge, toys near the television and some old Disney movies. Jack himself, she knew, was with Haley. And was likely going to be with Haley for quite some time more. She sighed softly, caught up in how awful the past two days had been for her superior.

"Look, Hotch..," she spoke, determined to be professional.

"Prentiss, stop. Don't start this. We all knew that I was going to take the fall for what happened down in Philadelphia. That's just the way it is."

"And you know that I'm the one who'll get your job," she said sardonically, "And I'm supposed to believe that you'll be okay with that?"

"It doesn't matter," he muttered, pouring coffee into two cups and grabbing the sugar pot from the shelf and the milk from the fridge- for her, since he took neither with his coffee- "I'd rather it be you than someone external."

She was forced to concede that he sounded reasonably alright with the unmerciful plan Strauss and her compatriots had come up with.

"Hotch, I came here to-"

"Take the job Emily." It was a demand, and he found, sincerely, that he did want her, rather than anyone else, to have the job. It hurt like hell that he might never see the BAU again- might never see her again- but he knew that if he had to concede defeat, she was the best person to concede it to.

"Aaron." She said sharply, and he looked at her properly. She looked tired and desperate, but there was a familiar steely glint in her eyes.

"I won't be taking that job, even if you're fired. I came here to tell you that if you go... I'll go too."

For about five seconds, he said nothing and neither did she. She surveyed him for some sort of response, but his stoic expression didn't allow her to surmise what he was thinking.

What he was thinking, in fact was that he had expected that her ambitions, rather than her loyalty, to win out. He had been wrong about her- not for the first time either.

"Emily, I... I don't know... Why are you doing this?"

"I've told you before, I hate politics."

She couldn't tell him, she just couldn't, that she was doing it for him.


	6. Chapter Six Storm

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Criminal Minds related. Characters are merely borrowed and will be put back later. ;)**

**Possible ****spoilers****: This chapter contains scenes from the actual episode: S04E1: Mayhem and S04E03: Minimal Loss.**

**A/N: **I want to thank everyone who has reviewed- it means the world to me. It really does. You've all been so kind to me, so sincerely, thank you.

This and the next chapter fit together- it was just too long to post all at once so I had to halve it.

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**Fair and Foul**

**Chapter Six-Storm**

"_There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.__"_

_Nelson Mandela_

Aaron watched her for another few seconds. She had told him she was doing this because she hated politics- but she hadn't met his eye. He had a feeling there was something more to it- a sense of personal loyalty, perhaps? -but he couldn't be sure. He was oddly contented to find that he wanted her to be loyal to him- not just to the team, but to himself.

"So, had you a plan?" she asked conversationally, taking a sip of her coffee.

"Not really. Strauss tried to persuade me to take a transfer, to make this easier on everyone involved, but there's no point in me saying that that's what I want. I don't. I want to be with the BAU. I lost my family for it- I don't want to work anywhere else," he noted.

"I understand that. I know that I don't want to leave the BAU- and I sure as hell know that I could never lead it like you do. The investigation will fall apart- don't they usually call witnesses for this kind of thing?" she questioned.

He took a long drink of coffee and finally muttered "Yeah, they do." Lightning forked across the sky outside, harshly illuminating the room for a split second. It was past twilight now- the sky was tarred black and the storm washed over the city.

"The team will back you up- just like I will."

"Dave thinks I made the wrong choice. He told me not to go in there. And Morgan, Morgan owes me nothing after I wouldn't recommend him in New York."

"It's not about owing! Do you really think so little of us? When I left the office today, Rossi was just finished telling Garcia about what you did and he couldn't have been more praising of your actions. And Morgan? Morgan knows why you didn't give him that recommendation. He could have taken the job anyway, but he didn't. He stayed- because he wanted you to be his leader. He respects you, probably even more than the rest of us do. Why are you being so defeatist about this?"

"Because I'll miss it!" he said suddenly. "I'll miss going into work every day, seeing the team, profiling and working cases. I'll miss it!"

"I know. But I'd miss you if you were gone," she said softly, surprised by the passion he had shown for the job. He was usually so stoic about it, nobody would know that Strauss' dirty tricks would affect him so badly.

As he looked at her properly, she realised what she had said. _I'd miss you if you were gone._ She was prepared to wince and explain that it was a slip of the tongue, but he caught her off guard.

"I'd miss you too," he half whispered, turning away from her.

There was a brief silence, broken only by the consistent trill of whistling wind and the splatter of raindrops on the windows.

"And for what it's worth Emily.. I don't think little of you. Or any of the team, for that matter- but particularly you. You came into the BAU on your own and I honestly wasn't sure if you would be able for it. I doubted you and I was a hardass, and I left you in the cold on more than one occasion. You still proved yourself to me- and I couldn't think little of that when I know that if it were me, I'm not sure I would have stuck it out."

She shivered now that her coffee was finished and murmured her thanks.

"Oh, God, I forgot that you were still wet from the rain. Hang on, I'll get you a towel and something to wear until it dies off. There's no way you can get back to your car in this weather- and sit down, you need to be resting," he pointed out.

She rolled her eyes and decided against telling him that he should be resting too- she knew that it was not an argument she was going to win, and so she tenderly walked to the couch in the sitting room next to the kitchen. Her stomach was flaming up again because she hadn't relaxed at all since she had left the hospital- and now that the painkillers were wearing off, she was paying the price for her recklessness throughout the day.

She sat down on the couch and waited for him to return. While she sat there she glanced around the room and picked out tiny details that told her more about him. The cases and FBI files were on the low coffee table, and Emily had copies of them herself. But she knew that when Jack was around, those files would be hidden away on top of the shelf above the television. He truly loved his son- that was why he did the job he did- and was evidently proud of Jack. Pictures of the two of them- and Haley- were on the shelf above the fireplace and the heating from the electric fire was turned on.

She felt at ease in the room. It suited Hotch, even though it was calm and pleasant- nothing about it struck her as stoic or complex, which was how she had seen Hotch in the beginning. The mahogany panelling wasn't severe coupled with the calm light of the lamps inside the door and the bookshelves were full of books she had read herself. Thunder was roaring outside and she knew that lightning would be flashing across the kitchen window, if she looked. She kept glancing around the room instead, noting the hardwood floor, and the beautiful handcrafted rug covering most of it. The rain was pelting against the walls of the house and she could hear the wind beating against the trees mercilessly outside.

She sighed softly and smiled at the picture closest to her on the coffee table. She leaned over carefully and picked the frame up. Her grin widened as she saw the smile on Hotch's face. Jack was hanging from his neck, his legs tucked around Hotch's waist, the two of them looking at the camera. It was the simplest thing in the world- a piggy back ride on the beach on a Summer's Day- last year, she would guess. It was innocent and pure- entirely in opposition to what she dealt with every day. It was amazing to see him truly smiling. She couldn't help but think of how handsome he was- and how dedicated he was to his family.

A small noise at the door made her turn quickly. He was standing waiting for her to satisfy her curiosity, and when she turned he gestured to the clothes and towel he was holding in his left hand.

"A pair of sweatpants belonging to Haley that I found upstairs- and one of my old shirts. They're the only things I have I'm afraid. There's a bathroom down the hall."

"Thank you. They're perfect, honestly."

As she was leaving the room he called after her "More coffee?" And she called back in the affirmative. She had a feeling that it was going to be a long time before the storm died down- and knowing him, she wouldn't be allowed to leave the house until it did.

***

In the bathroom, she struggled with her wet clothes and tried to cause as little damage as possible. Her hair was wet and dripping, so she towelled it dry as best she could. She appreciated Haley not clearing out everything when she'd left- it meant Emily had pants to wear, which was a bonus- but the thing that she was happiest about was the shirt; she couldn't deny that.

She was trying to shake off her feelings for Hotch. The past two days had brought those feelings to the fore- not that they hadn't been present before that. She was well aware that Hotch felt nothing for her, and despite the fact that they had gotten closer in recent weeks, she knew that nothing would ever come of her hopes, so she tried her best to avoid situations where she would feel the butterflies thumping in her stomach.

On this occasion, the butterflies seemed to be having an all out party in there, and she knew her cheeks were flushed as she pulled the shirt across her back. These were someone else's clothes- and the tentatively familiar smell from them meant that those feelings she had were getting stronger. They smelled like him. He wasn't as guarded or closed off tonight as he normally would be. She revelled in it, even when she knew that anything she felt would never be returned- and desperately hoped at the same time that she wouldn't make a fool of herself.

She ended up thinking about New York- the terrorism cell in the city. He had almost died; she thought for a while that he was dead, in fact. She found herself thinking about that day- she remembered feeling that it was never going to end.

_Emily was on the phone, looking worried, sitting in the conference room. She looked up and called to the team- "Morgan's safe!" Her voice was shaky, wavering- in truth, though she was glad he had survived, she wouldn't be pacified until she knew about Hotch._

"_Thank God," muttered Rossi as a phone rang._

"_This is the Unsub Morgan chased into the Subway and this is the one Prentiss shot", he said, showing pictures on the notice board. "Garcia's running them both through ViCAP."_

_At the mention of her name, Emily had looked up- but she was more interested in the phone she was using to try to locate Hotch. She didn't truly care about the profile at the moment._

"_These are smart, well educated kids, handpicked and trained to be martyrs. They're not gonna be on a government file and they won't have rap sheets," Rossi stated._

_Emily was getting more worried by the minute. JJ walked swiftly towards them from the other side of the room._

"_Hotch and Kate are at St. Barclay's Hospital."_

_Emily's head spun around, glad they were found, not so happy to hear "hospital." Before she could say anything, Rossi interjected- "How are they?"_

"_Well, Hotch is in the ER, Kate's in surgery. Morgan's on his way down there now."_

_Emily was fiddling with the phone in her hand, which she had hung up on hearing they were at least somewhere safe. She was unsure of what else to do, but she had just seen a report on her laptop which she delivered- "The media's reporting this as a failed attack on 26 Federal Plaza."_

_Five minutes later, when they got the call that Hotch wanted them at the hospital, she grabbed her laptop and her jacket, desperate to get there as soon as possible._

_She was frank, perhaps even a little abrupt, when she got there- "Are you okay?" she asked._

"_Yeah," he said approaching her. "I just want to understand why I'm still alive."_

She stopped thinking about it and finished getting dressed.

***

For his part, Aaron was unsure why he had insisted upon her staying here and changing her clothes. She could just as easily have left- he would, of course, have driven her home despite doctor's advisements that neither of them should drive. Hotch had kept her there, though it hurt him to admit it, because he wanted her there. He was consistently lonely. This house was too big for one person and sometimes it needed to know that there were other people out there for him to talk to and see.

It bothered him too that the aching, needy feeling he had whenever he saw her, would not go away. He had tried to fool himself out of it more than once- and there were so many times at work when he just wanted to keep her safe, but had to stop himself, that he had arguably placed her in even more danger than he usually would with any other agent. He knew that she loved it- it seemed as though he trusted her (which he did, infinitesimally) - but to him it felt as though he was putting too much weight on her shoulders

He could think of a thousand times when all he had wanted to do was hug her- and he would never, ever, forget Benjamin Cyrus. He had sent Emily with Reid to do the most basic thing. It was danger free and a good learning curve for both of them. If he had known how it was going to turn out for her, he simply would have refused to let her go in there. If he had known, he would have physically held her back.

He thought back to that day, burying his face in his hands as he sat on his couch. He remembered how scared he was, how terrified he felt that something might happen- that he might not see her anymore. Images from the corpses at Jonestown had ricocheted through his head throughout that entire day. He closed his eyes and he could remember every single detail of that day.

***

"_I told you not to put me in this position!" Cyrus yelled as he threw her down. He hit her and she cried out, surprised and hurting._

Hotch remembered wearing the headphones, hearing her crying out, and wanting to march in there and rip Benjamin Cyrus to pieces. He wanted to take the sound away, but he knew that he couldn't. Rossi had listened intently to hear anything he could, and Morgan was worried without hiding it.

_He kicked her, hard in the solar plexus, and she struggled to get away from him, winded and pained. She groaned and yelled, but it made no difference._

Panicked, Hotch took the headphones off- "We gotta go in," he said, trying to keep his voice calm.

"We'd be risking the lives of everyone in there," Rossi sensibly said. Impatient and angry, Hotch put the headphones back on. He wanted her out of there!

"_Get up!" Cyrus growled at her, pulling her hair to get her to her feet. There was a terrifying crash of glass as he shoved her, hard, into the mirror against the wall. She screamed in pain, the glass tearing at her skin as she tried to find her way back to a defensive posture. "Proverbs 23 tells us 'blows and wounds cleanse away evil'. He pulled her around to face him while she tried to catch her breath._

Outside, Hotch leaned his arms against the desk so he wouldn't hit Rossi for leaving her in there. In truth, he wanted to scream and roar to the heavens, beg for her to be let free- but he knew, he knew that he was locked in, that he couldn't help.

_Cyrus threw her violently against the wall opposite. She flew across the room like a doll and yelled again, half breathing and half crying out._

Hotch raised himself up, absolute anger, fear and hurt on his features. Rossi watched him getting uncomfortable, knowing that he could offer Hotch no solace.

"_I can take it," she uttered inside, panting._

"_Oh, you can take it?" Cyrus taunted, slapping her cruelly across the face. She flew sideways, stumbling, gasping for air._

"Wait, wait, listen," Rossi tried to reassure a catatonic Hotch, "listen to what she's saying." Hotch glared at him but did as he was told.

_Weaker this time, her defiance still shone through- "I can take it."_

"She's antagonising him!" Morgan exclaimed. "She's not talking to him," Rossi interjected. Disgusted, Hotch continued, "She's talking to us, she's telling us not to come in." Though he admired the sentiment, Hotch, defeated, wished that her bravery wasn't so dominant. All he wanted to do was carry her out and keep her close.

"_Pride comes before a fall," Cyrus uttered, punching her deftly, smoothly and agonisingly in the stomach. She roared in pain, winded and crushed, bent over and trying her best not to cry. She yelled and finally, tears fell, as he threw her roughly to the floor._

Morgan pulled the headphones off, determined to hear no more of it. Rossi pulled his away from his ear, and Hotch, raging, clutched his fists against his hips, white knuckled, and kept listening. His face gave it all away and he knew that. He didn't care. Tears were gathering in his eyes and he was breathing more heavily than usual as his frustration and upset built.

That son of a bitch!

_On the floor, Emily tried to readjust but she couldn't. She was defeated. _

***


	7. Chapter Seven Fair and Foul

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Criminal Minds related. Characters are merely borrowed and will be put back later. ;)**

**Possible ****spoilers****: This chapter discusses and alludes to scenes from the actual episode: S04E17: Demonology.**

**A/N: **Since this is the chapter I worked most on, please tell me if I get it right. I'd love to know.

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**Fair and Foul**

**Chapter Seven-Fair and Foul**

"_Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls. The most massive characters are seared with scars."_

_Khalil Gibran_

"Hotch? Hotch?"

She had been waiting for him to talk back to her for about ten seconds, and she'd gotten nothing.

She approached him cautiously, unsure whether he was alright or not. "Aaron?" she murmured, "Are you alright?" Still no response. She reached out and touched his shoulder, "Aaron..".

He spun around to face her, his thought flow interrupted, and he groaned as the wound in his side flared to life to tell him what a bad idea the fast swerve was. She winced along with him, knowing exactly how the flash of pain had hit him.

"Oh, God, I'm sorry. Are you okay? Can I do anything?" she asked, concerned

"I'm fine. I'm fine, really." he said, hissing slightly as the pain subsided. "I didn't hear you come in- I was thinking about Cyrus."

"Cyrus? Oh."

The fact that she went so quiet and reserved at the mention of Benjamin Cyrus was enough for Aaron to realise that time might heal all wounds- but she needed more time with those ones in particular.

"I didn't mean to bring it up, it's-"

"No, it's fine. Really. He's just not my favourite person", she chuckled softly. Hotch nodded in understanding as he stood, awkwardly, to meet her gaze, taking her wet clothes from her. "I'll take these and put them on a radiator. You pour coffee," he told her calmly. She went back to the kitchen and he went to the upstairs bedroom with the clothes. The journey took him long enough that when he came down, she was back on the couch, a steaming mug of coffee in her hands and another on the coffee table. Thunder was still raging outside and the wind was howling in the trees.

He walked closer and sat on the same couch, next to her. He took his coffee and sipped it gently. She was turned to face him, her legs tucked under her for comfort, and in turn he faced her too, relaxed and warm on the seat next to her, his right knee casually tipping against her thigh. He hadn't sat this close to someone in a long time.

For the first time, he took into account what she was wearing. It only took him a few seconds to feel that ache he always felt when he was near her. His shirt, an old but clean one, showed her curves and features- but she was comfortable, and it made her seem part of the house. He was surprised to find that that made him content- happier than he had been in quite some time.

"So how did you get to thinking about Cyrus of all people?" she asked curiously.

Hotch wasn't sure whether to tell her the truth or not. Whether to lay his feelings and emotions on the line like that. He decided to go out on a limb and explain it to her- neither of them would ever forget Cyrus, and he knew that she of all people would not brush aside his concerns.

"I was as worried that day as I was yesterday- I was thinking about us listening to him... beating you... and we couldn't move. It was awful to be outside knowing that there was nothing we could do. It felt the same yesterday. That's why I went into the house. It killed me to stand outside when I knew you were in trouble again."

"I didn't know that... I kind of thought, when I came out from that madhouse Cyrus was running, that you were angry with me."

"I would never be angry with you. I just wished that you would give up so that I could get you out of there."

He'd said _I_. Not _we_, but _I_. _So that I could get you out of there._

There was another brief, comfortable silence while the rain lashed the house and the both came to the realisation that things had changed now. They were being open and honest- something that neither of them suspected the other of being capable of. Emily put her mug down on the coffee table, the ceramic clanking quietly against the surface.

"You know, Aaron... in New York, after the car bomb... You have no idea how worried I was. I thought you were dead. Rossi and Reid were talking about the profile in that conference room, and all I could do was make phone calls, find out where you were. I was practically catatonic."

He looked at her intently. "I would have said you were professional rather than emotional about it when you found me."

"I probably was. I'm like that around you generally I suppose." She couldn't be sure of why- she assumed that since she had started her job at the BAU with professionalism in mind, she had simply stayed that way; had never changed, never truly allowed anyone in. She trusted them all, but deep down inside, he was the one she trusted most- and he was the last person she wanted to know that.

Aaron had lapsed into silence again. He knew what she meant. He had given her such a hard time in the beginning, made it so difficult for her to fit in, that her professionalism and the way she maintained it was a credit to her. He knew that she trusted him just as much as any member of the team- and he had known, less than a few months after she came to the job, that she was the right woman for it. He was very aware of her sitting right next to him- aware that he might be treading a thin line- but there was something nagging at him- one thing he had to say to her that had been bugging him for months. He had to ask now, before he lost his courage.

"Can I ask you something?" he said, half whispering, fingering the edge of his mug and not meeting her eyes.

"Shoot." She said calmly. He put the mug down.

"When you walked into my office that day, after the rain- after Matthew died- you looked the worst I've ever seen you. I told you to take time off- you wouldn't."

She remembered him calling her by her first name that time- and how even that still left her feeling empty after she had had such bad news. All she had wanted was for him to hug her, hold her close and tell her it would be okay- but he hadn't done that. Though she wouldn't know it, almost every time he mentioned her while she was gone during that case, he called her by her first name- he had never really done so before.

"Yeah, I remember... Go on," she coaxed, utterly sure that she knew what was coming. She had deliberately, desperately, lied to him the first time he had asked her about it. She wasn't sure what she would tell him this time.

"What happened, Emily? What really happened?" He fixed her with that intent look, but for once, there was nothing but sympathy in there- he wasn't being nosy; he cared. He was thinking back, to that same day, in the snow- the day he realised just how strong she was; just how much he admired her strength.

She knew that he had gone out on a limb for her, blatantly calling the Vatican to step in when the exorcisms were at their worst. She remembered the moment when, at the end of the case, she emerged from Johnny's house to approach Hotch.

"_If you want my gun and badge I understand."_

_He shook his head, ashamed that he had not believed her for a while; ashamed that he had almost allowed another of her friends to die. He couldn't meet her eyes for too long._

"_There's a plane ticket in your name to Rome," he addressed Father Paul Silvano, "Agent Morgan and I will drive you to the airport"- his way of making sure that Emily would not suffer the pain of seeing this man again- "Any of your belongings can be shipped to you."_

_Emily turned to look at him, astounded- and exceedingly grateful- that he had put himself on the line for her._

"_You have no right to deport me," Fr. Silvano said._

"_The Vatican intervened. The Italian Government has rescinded your diplomatic status," Rossi intoned._

"_They'll do with you as they see fit when you're back in their jurisdiction." Hotch stated._

"_You've all just made the world a much more dangerous place," the priest declared before turning to face Emily. "May God's love be with you", he muttered in old Latin._

"_And with you," she fiercely replied. As he was led away to the car, Hotch looked at Emily to see her looking shaken but resolute._

"_I saw that guy up there. He was certain he was fighting against some kind of evil," Morgan said quietly._

"_We all have to be certain," Rossi asserted as the snowflakes continued to fall from the heavens._

"_Rossi, don't tell me you believe in evil," Morgan remarked._

"_Don't tell me you do this job and you don't!" Rossi retorted sharply._

"_I believe there are evil acts," Morgan qualified- "But those are choices. Brain chemistry."_

_Emily looked unhappy and uncomfortable with the entire conversation- Hotch wasn't sure why._

"_What do you think Hotch?", Morgan questioned._

_Aaron looked sideways at her, sensing her discomfort. He was worried about her all over again._

"_I think deep down we're all capable of unspeakable things. Where it starts or what you call it, I don't know... Let's get him out of here."_

Emily stopped her reverie and looked back at him again. She knew that he wouldn't betray her confidence- and she knew that he was asking because he wanted her to trust him and allow him to care. So she told him.

"We moved around a lot, when I was a kid... because of my mom. We ended up in Italy when I was 15. All I wanted was to fit in. I- I explained this to Rossi- fitting in is the only... the only important thing when you're 15...."

He knew that she was uncomfortable. By instinct, he reached out and took her hand in his.

"You're willing to do almost anything to fit in," she continued. "Anything."

He echoed exactly what Rossi had said that day- "You got pregnant."

She nodded, her voice too shaky to keep going for a moment. She unwittingly squeezed his hand, as though to stop the tears from falling, as they always did when she thought back to that day and that time. Her eyes were blurring over and she knew she had to spit the rest of the story out.

Hotch just sat there, looking at her, holding her hand and gently stroking her fingers.

"Matthew, he- he- took me to the hospital and w- waited with me. I was terrified, but I had no other choice. I couldn't tell my mom..."

Aaron Hotchner was the one person she had never wanted to share this story with. She cursed Rossi's loyalty- it would have been easier if he had told her secret... In truth, Emily was still ashamed of what she had done. In her eyes, that moment had set up the rest of Matthew's life- and she would regret that forever.

"Emily..."

It was too late. The tears spilled over and she couldn't stop them once they started. She still felt alone, worthless and lost- and humiliated that Hotch now knew the truth.

He hated himself for making her re-live it. He truly did. He pulled her close and hugged her to him- something she had long wanted and arguably even needed. He wrapped an arm around her back and waist as she pulled her legs out from under her. He managed to pull her closer, tucking one leg under hers and shushing her quietly, rubbing her back to comfort her.

She clung to him, tears still falling, trying not to sob- but this was something she had needed to do for some months, maybe even years- and he wasn't stopping her. He relaxed with her further back into the chair, extended his legs and propped her up as they lay there on his couch. She cried until she had no more tears to cry, her face buried in his neck- and he held her close with both arms tied around her, rested his cheek against her hair, quietly shushing her into calmness, running his hands up and down her back and rocking her ever so gently to pacify the grief she felt.

All awkwardness was gone when she quietened. Things had changed and they both knew it- changed for the better or the worse, they had yet to find out. He wasn't sure how long later it was, but eventually she breathed softly and peacefully.

When she was calm and relaxed enough, she moved her head nearer his collarbone. She reached her right hand out and touched, ever so softly, the cuts, burns and bruises on his arm that she could see. He turned his arm to face her- an automatic movement- giving her more access to him. They slipped farther into the couch, finally lying side by side facing each other.

"I still can't believe you went in there after us..." she whispered, tracing her finger against a burn on his forearm.

"After you," he corrected automatically.

She smiled at him, gently at first but it soon turned into that fantastic smile she kept for her happiest moments. He chuckled softly and moved his arm out of her reach, resting it gently against her hip.

It was the most automatic thing in the world- Emily's hand flew to his face, swiftly but softly touching the cuts on his cheekbone and by his ear. His hand tightened on her hip and she looked into his eyes half sadly. He had suffered so much- for her. She could see from his eyes, emotional and intense, that that wall of armour-steel plated and crude- the wall he always held in front of him-was gone.

Aaron's forehead touched against hers when she took her hand away to put it at his waist. He closed his eyes and thought sincerely about pulling away. But he couldn't bear to.

His t shirt was slightly askew and as her hand landed, she felt the edge of the bandage covering the true damage- the severe shrapnel wound at his waist. She moved her palm over it and held her hand there, half on the bandage and half against his skin, her warm fingers soothing the consistent throbbing soreness.

He tilted his head- again, automatically- and pressed his lips to her lower cheek. She closed her eyes and her hand moved to his back, his bare skin soft against her hand. He kissed her again and moved closer to her mouth. The third time, he deliberately and carefully hit home, firmly kissing her warm lips, moving his other hand up to her face, wiping the remaining tears away while the hand on her hip moved too- pulling her closer.

She tried to focus on the pain in her stomach- but she couldn't. She was half breathless and her cheeks were flushed red. His lips were warm and soft- and there was no denying the passion and desire of his actions. Her hand moved from under his t shirt to behind his shoulder, where, with her fingers laced in his hair, she managed to pull him even closer to her. He happily complied, his legs twisting with hers as he kissed her again and again- finally letting her know that he cared- and cared deeply.

Time passed as the storm raged itself into submission outside, the dawn sky gradually bringing light to the world again.

***

"_So foul and fair a day I have not seen"_

_Act I, Scene III, Macbeth_

_William Shakespeare_


	8. Chapter Eight Dawn Troubles

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Criminal Minds related. Characters are merely borrowed and will be put back later. ;)**

**Fair and Foul**

**Chapter Eight- Dawn Troubles**

"_Her lips on his could tell him better than all her stumbling words."_

_Margaret Mitchell_

It was only when the earliest stroke of sunshine sparked through the window that she woke up. Her right hand was stretched across his torso, her head resting near his collarbone, their legs still tangled together on the couch. His arms were still wrapped around her delicately, almost as though he could, and would, protect her as she slept. She had no idea how they had settled into this embrace- but she was content to stay there.

She wasn't sure what would happen next; but she wasn't going to regret that she had finally given in to her feelings either. She gently repositioned her head so that she could see his face- and his warm brown eyes were looking down at her. He had woken before she had.

For a second or two, nothing was said. Only the twitter of the birds outside could be heard as they both assessed the situation, their eyes locked together in a trance of non-repentance. Neither, she realised for the first time, regretted what had happened.

And still, neither of them spoke. She still felt slightly woozy, those cursed butterflies still dancing in her stomach. Unwittingly, she smiled at the entire idea- and she was instantly comforted when he smiled back. She would never get sick of that smile. All lines disappeared from his face, all weariness worn away, to be replaced by a younger looking and even more handsome Aaron Hotchner.

Absentmindedly, she again did what she had done just hours before, and ran her hand along his arm- or at least, the part of it she could reach without straining herself. She put her head back down, resting against his chest, not wanting to move in case this all disappeared. She was most surprised when the arm she had been stroking detached itself from her body and reached for her hand. He laced their fingers together as they lay there, still smiling- unaware that he was doing so- and feeling happier than he had in a long time.

He played with her hand for a few seconds more before carefully putting it on his chest, above his heart. He kept his hand over hers for a second and she was caught up in the beat of his heart almost instantly. And finally, one of them spoke.

"Emily..." he said, voice hoarse and choppy from the few hours sleep he had had, and the emotional talking that had gone before it.

"Mmm.." she intoned, eyes closed and still sleepy. The sunlight was streaming through the window, lighting her features with warmth and the iridescent colours of a cleanliness that comes only after a big storm.

It would have been painful to drag her to his mouth so he could kiss her- which was what he truly wanted- and the last thing he wanted was to cause her more pain. He took his other hand from her back, where it had rested near her shoulder all night, and locked his fingers into her hair, gently massaging her neck as she dozed softly. He was more than willing to show her that- for him, at least- the streak of desire from the night before wasn't going to go away easily. He didn't have to wait very long for her to confirm her similarly strong feelings to him.

She moved her hand from his heart to his neck and gently pulled her body up, moving her head until she could look right into his eyes. She pressed her nose into his cheek and, running her fingers through his hair she closed her eyes and found his mouth. She ever so gently nibbled on his lower lip before kissing him properly, her hair tumbling over to tickle his face.

Last night's kisses had been half frantic- effortless but shockingly passionate. Today they were romantic and heavy, laced with the weightier, more meaningful and intimate feelings of two people who had finally found each other exactly when they were needed most.

His hands were wandering to her waist and back up, touching and holding her back through his familiar feeling shirt. Every now and again, they stopped, breathing softly, just to look, half disbelievingly, at each other.

She was approaching a state of breathlessness, her tongue caught in a strong barrage of kisses and warmth- when the phone rang, the tone shrilly echoing through the room. She pulled away from him when she heard it, but he didn't move at all. He just looked up into her eyes and then reached his hands to her face, pulling her back down toward him. She smiled widely and didn't fight him off. The phone kept ringing but they ignored it, focused only on each other as the world woke up outside.

Cautiously, carefully, trying not to damage anyone, he moved her onto her side. He found himself a few moments later looking across at her, her face turned sideways to avoid the thin stream of sunlight floating into the room.

She was stunning. He had always known that she was a beautiful woman, but he had tried to deny his feelings for so long that the rush of affection he now felt was almost new to him again. He lowered himself toward her and when he was close enough, he pressed his nose against hers in a moment of silent contentment. When she turned her head to face him again, he caught her in a breathtaking kiss. It was warm and caring, emotion and honour pouring from his every action. She loved the feeling of his lips pressed against hers and just as her fingers found his hair, the phone rang again.

"Ugh...," Emily sighed whiningly, disgusted at the interruption. Aaron looked at her and half chuckled before struggling out of their embrace to pick up the phone. It took him a few seconds but he got there just in time.

"Aaron Hotcher," he stated on picking up the phone.

Emily rolled onto her back while he was gone. Her stomach was sore this morning- no doubt from the awful treatment she had given it before she arrived at Aaron's house the night before. She had taken no painkillers since the day previous and it was coming back to haunt her- and fast.

"I understand. I'll be there as soon as I can." He hung up the phone, sighed loudly and padded back to where she lay on the couch. He wanted to tell her what the call was about, but he could read pain on her face as she lay there and an instant look of concern washed over his face- followed by one of mild scolding.

"You never took another painkiller, did you?" he questioned.

"Nn... No." She said, cramped over on the couch to avoid the pain getting worse. Why it had suddenly gotten so bad she couldn't tell. "Aaron... help me up." She said, sounding both weakened and determined.

"No way. I'll help you lie out properly and we'll make sure nothing's wrong."

She was too sore to argue with him, so she said nothing to that, but her expression twisted and Aaron knew he had to help her. He walked to her side and gently moved her from her cramped position, turning on her back. It hurt her like hell, and he was getting worried that something serious had happened.

"Emily, I have to check to make sure that it's alright. It will only take a minute, just hang on."

She said nothing, eyes tight shut and knuckles white at her sides. He felt nervous about this; it shouldn't be that sore, and she wasn't exactly the victim type either- so she wasn't exaggerating. The shirt he had given her the night previous was a long one- she had tied the long sections across the front in a knot- a knot he didn't have time to undo, not when there was something wrong.

"Emily... I'm sorry, I have to start from the top. I'm sorry.."

She didn't care, she just nodded, trying to keep her breathing normal and strong, deliberately breathing in through her nose and out of her mouth. He carefully undid the first closed button of the shirt, moving as quickly as he could to the next despite his shaking hands. He ignored the plain white satin bra he revealed piece by piece, but his fingers were shaking so badly that the task was taking too long. She was clearly in too much pain for this to be something a painkiller would solve and his hands wouldn't speed up.

Finally, he reached the edge of the bandage. He knew that the wound ran across her stomach and part of her side. He pulled the shirt as far to the side as he could, revealing the bandage in its entirety- soaked with fresh blood.

"Aaron..." she whispered as he took his hand away, "What.. Oh God..."

"It's fine. Honestly, it's fine. I'm going to call an ambulance, you'll be fine. Just hang on a few minutes more, okay?"

He reached for her hand and squeezed it, reaching the cordless handset he had set down on the coffee table a few seconds before. Dialling 911 with bloody fingers, he asked for an ambulance and gave his address. The woman on the end of the phone kept him talking to her- he sounded completely distraught- and he kept passing assurances to Emily. Just before he hung up, he heard the sirens in the distance and he hoped that they would be there soon.

He leaned over and, still clasping her hand tightly, he kissed her cheek. "Emily.. They're almost here, and they're going to... they're going to...they'll help."

Her breathing was shallow and ragged but she squeezed his hand quite strongly. He kissed her again, half frantically, on the lips- determined to keep her with him since she wasn't talking. She did kiss him back, a miserable tear falling down her cheek.

As he was reaching his peak frustration point, the sirens stopped abruptly- right outside the door. He left her to run to it, pulling it open quickly and leading the paramedics to her. They kneeled next to her, asked him questions about her condition and when she had sustained the injury- all of which he answered calmly while holding her hand and stroking her fingers. Eventually- though it really only took about a minute, it just felt like eternity- they lifted her onto a stretcher and moved to carry her out of the house.

He automatically moved with them, determined to be there with her, but they stopped him.

"Sir, you'll have to follow us. There isn't enough room and we need as much space as we can get," he was calmly informed.

He nodded and watched them leave, feeling useless and anxious.

***

Ten minutes later, he was on his way to the hospital. He had found her bag and brought it with him- her cell, keys and credentials were in there, he knew she would want them eventually. He had managed to change into his usual suit trousers and shirt, though he had left his jacket and his tie behind, his shirtsleeves rolled up- his typical giveaway sign of dissatisfaction and stress.

He sped along the road, listening to nothing but his heart pounding in his chest. He couldn't know what was wrong with her, but worst case scenarios inevitably came to mind. He drove on, relentless in his pursuit of the ambulance to the nearest hospital.

***

By the time he arrived, he was on the phone, calling members of the team to let them know- Rossi was first, Reid and Morgan next. By the time he got to JJ, both she and Garcia knew and so his short calls drew them together within an hour.

He was sitting, silent and empty, inside the room where she lay asleep, holding her hand- and running his other hand through his hair every now and again- when they arrived. Rossi Morgan and JJ crowded inside, Reid and Garcia departing to get coffee.

Rossi wasn't the only one who noticed the state Hotch was in- Morgan shot JJ a slightly concerned look and all three of them noticed the fact that their boss's fingers were comfortably laced together with Emily's.

"How did you find out about this?" Rossi asked him, unaware that she had spent the night at Hotch's house, but perfectly in the knowledge that Hotch had long had a thing for Emily.

"She came over to talk to me about what happened at work yesterday, with Strauss. We... she..." He struggled to explain what had happened. He didn't particularly want to, so he skipped that part instead. "She felt sore. She was on the verge of passing out so I checked the wound and it didn't look good. I called the ambulance....I..."

"Hotch... you look awful. The doctor told us she'll be fine. It was an infection- a pretty big one, but they gave her some antibiotics. She's going to be fine."

"I know. I just... it's just so...." He couldn't continue- not without coming undone, which was the last thing he wanted.

"Aaron...." Emily's fragile voice sounded from the bed next to him. He snapped around to see her opening her eyes slowly and tiredly. "Emily, I'm here. What do you need? Can I get you something?" he said quickly. She didn't respond quickly though, and it took her time to continue, "You're- you're doing that thing again... blaming yourself."

Rossi smiled to himself, turned and shooed Morgan and JJ out under the pretence of getting coffee with Reid and Garcia. Aaron was left sitting there next to her, exhausted, out of sorts and weary. He kissed her hand tenderly and stood up, pressing his lips against her forehead. "Get some rest. You need it," he said softly, pushing her hair back from her face.

He turned to see Rossi standing at the door, watching. Hotch walked past him and Rossi simply smiled at his retreating back before following him, questioning him immediately- albeit not about Emily Prentiss and the closeness between them.

"Care to tell us about what happened yesterday? You ran out of the BAU and Emily disappeared within seconds after her interrogation. We're all wondering and we've got time to hear the story now. Tell us what Strauss has up her sleeve."

Hotch nodded. "Fine, I'll tell you. But I need coffee first." The words were barely out of his mouth when Garcia handed him a cup. "Tell us everything," Morgan said, "because Strauss looked damn happy yesterday, and that's not good."

***

"So wait, Hotch. You're telling me that you're under investigation, Emily's set to take your place, she doesn't want to and so if you're fired, she'll quit?" Morgan asked, incredulous.

"Yeah."

"And you got a call this morning from Strauss to say she's finished her investigation?" Reid finished the summary with a wince.

"Yeah."

"Do you think it's good news or bad?" Rossi asked, brow furrowed and thinking deeply.

"Bad. She didn't take any witness statements, did she?" Hotch intoned. They all shook their heads sadly. "Then it's bad," he said. "She just needs the smallest misdemeanour to pin on me. And she'll find it- phoning the Vatican was out of line that time, I never reported some things that I probably should have, there've been some complaints... It will be only too easy for her to get rid of me; I've given her enough ammo."

JJ was left shaking her head as he stood up to leave for the trip to the BAU.

"Take care of her," he murmured- and they all knew who he meant, "I have to go face Strauss. I'll be back as soon as possible."

And then he was gone, leaving Morgan, JJ, Garcia Rossi and Reid astounded and confused. Their boss was set to be fired- and the woman they had all come to care about and treat as a sister would walk away from the politics that ran the FBI. They remembered the last time it had happened- it threw the team for a loop and destroyed their continuity and consistency. They had not been able to solve that case without help- none of them wanted to contemplate the possible failure of the BAU if they were both to leave.

"If Hotch and Emily are both gone, it's a death knell for us," Morgan said quietly. Nobody disagreed.


	9. Chapter Nine Politics

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Criminal Minds related. Characters are merely borrowed and will be put back later. ;)**

**Fair and Foul**

**Chapter Nine- Politics**

"_There are some defeats more triumphant than victories."_

_Michel de Montaigne_

He knew what was coming. He had long resigned himself to the fact that he would not be in the BAU forever. He knew that it was never going to be easy to stay there, not with his fierce loyalty to the team ahead of the FBI- and not with his determination to keep as many people as safe as possible, even if it meant throwing some rules out the window.

Nonetheless, it hit him hard.

"Aaron, I've decided to end the investigation early. I simply didn't have to think it through all that much. Gideon disappeared into thin air; I hear rumours that Elle Greenaway turned in her badge because she killed someone in cold blood; you phoned the Vatican, which was ludicrous- and worse than all of those things, you got Agents Prentiss and Reid stuck in the cult house first, then Agents Prentiss and Morgan in the house the other day- not to mention the time Agent Reid was kidnapped and drugged. I'm not sure what you expected me to say, but the other day was the final straw for me. Quite frankly I don't believe that you're sufficiently capable of doing this job."

Hotch said nothing whatsoever, simply looked at her from the seat opposite hers.

"I'm asking you one last time to apply for a transfer. A White Collar crime task force is still up and running- you can be a part of it, though the chance to lead it has now passed. Who knows, maybe even Haley will come back into your life. This might be a good thing Aaron."

"I'm not going to apply for a transfer Ma'am, so say what you have to say and then I can leave." His tone was disinterested, calm and quiet. She was surprised by that; she knew that there was a lot of passion in there somewhere.

"Very well. From today, you are discharged from your position as unit chief of the BAU. You may empty your office and leave."

He nodded, stoic, and stood to go. He said nothing whatsoever to her, didn't even look at her. He turned his back on her but she stopped him. "Aaron."

He turned back, and looked at her, still never muttering a word.

"I do wish you good luck. It's a shame to lose you as an agent; your dedication was never in question. You could have done well in a different position."

He sensed some insincerity and left her, closing the door quietly and walking resolutely toward his office.

Well, ex- office.

***

He stood in the office for a long time, surveying it. This was the last time he would ever be here. He glanced at the walls, his various awards and most of his books now gone into three boxes on his desk. His nameplate, he had taken with him; it signified something, and it wasn't likely that they would ask for it back.

Books on criminal behaviour and psychology littered the desk now, as he stacked the last of his belongings away. Pictures of Jack went in, followed by the small clock he had long kept next to his files- and finally, somewhat tragically, the letter opener his father had owned was the last item to be put away.

The room had a vague echo to it- an echo he didn't like at all, but one he was forced to accept. It now seemed devoid of function and of determination; it just wasn't his anymore.

Walking softly, he stacked the boxes and left his office, looking to his left as he departed to see Erin Strauss glancing down at him from her own doorway. Again, he said nothing and walked on. He heard her shut the door and he stopped in the bullpen, right next to Emily's desk. She had a picture there, of the entire team on a rare night out- he remembered it being taken, just one happy moment at the end of a case that had been photographed by a local newspaper. She had it in a frame on her desk, and he put down the boxes and picked it up, looking at it for a sparse few moments before making his decision. His team would always be his team.

He left with the picture carefully tucked into one of the boxes.

***

When he arrived back to the hospital, he looked tired, unhealthy and wan- his reflection in the rear view mirror was defeated and strained. He had been derogated and insulted; gritted acceptance was the one expression that lined his face.

Rossi knew, long before he reached where some of the team waited in the hall, what the outcome had been. Hotch had left all of the boxes in the car, but the expression was enough to tell Dave everything he needed to know. Aaron Hotcher was no longer with the FBI.

And as soon as he saw his old friend, Hotch knew that Rossi understood his upset and the fact that he was trying to detach himself from it. He sighed and approached what he had once known as his team.

Morgan stood first. "Hotch..." he started, walking toward his boss.

"I'm out," Hotch said calmly. "There was nothing I could do. She gave me a list of reasons why she was firing me and then told me to leave. It was nothing less than what I had expected."

JJ had emerged from Emily's room in time to hear the word "firing", and on hearing it, she sat down hard on the plastic chair Morgan had vacated just seconds before. Hotch looked at her as though to try to comfort her, but there was nothing he could say.

Reid said nothing at all; he knew that the team was finished now; especially if Emily kept her word and left also. Reid also knew that nobody would think less of her for doing so. She had made it perfectly clear all along that she hated politics. If she kept to her principles, she was doing the right thing and they would all admire that without any doubt.

Rossi's phone rang in the silence that fell- Hotch was expecting someone to say something, but he gathered that they had discussed it in detail since he had left. Rossi, exasperated, walked farther down the hall to take his phone call out of earshot.

"So... you're leaving... You don't even get a week's work or anything?" Garcia asked, hopefully.

"No. I'm sorry... I feel like I've let you all down," he asserted.

"You didn't leave any of us down," said Emily's familiar voice from the doorway. She wasn't supposed to be out of bed, but nobody stopped her. "We can't start laying blame at anyone's door, least of all yours. Strauss got what she wanted and in the future, she might suffer for her poor judgement."

Rossi wandered back, touching Emily's arm lightly and smiling at her. It was good to see her up. "You okay?" he asked. She nodded at him and he turned to face his team. "That was Strauss. She wants the entire team back at BAU. She didn't know about Emily's relapse and she's worrying about paperwork. Said nothing about what she just did to Hotch, but nonetheless... we do have to go."

JJ stood up again, saddened and lonely. "The doctors said you're to be kept overnight in observation, to be sure," she addressed Emily. "So we'll tell Strauss that and you can have an extra day to think about it."

"Sure," Emily said- and the way she said it, in an attempt to humour them, only reassured them that she was most definitely going to leave the FBI within a few days.

Morgan approached her for a hug and told her to take care of herself, he shook Hotch's hand- one last time- and then waited for Garcia to walk out with him. For her part, Garcia threw her arms around Emily and tried not to sob- the team were her family. What was she to do when her family split up? She unabashedly hugged Hotch as well, which surprised a lot of people. "It was an honour Sir, it really was."

"You're right Penelope. It was," he said, smiling at her as best he could.

Garcia and Morgan left- though they could hear Garcis sobbing the whole way down the hall.

JJ hugged Emily close, "I'll keep in touch to let you know what's going on. I'll miss you both," she said, shaking Hotch's hand before she left. "The team won't be the same when you're not there. I don't understand how she thinks she can replace you..." she said, still reeling from the revelation. And then she was gone too, to catch up with Garcia and Morgan.

Reid was next to say his goodbyes. He awkwardly stood in front of Emily, biting his lip with anxiety, and finally reached out to hug her. "I'll miss you. You understood the geeky things..." he said sadly. She grinned widely and shook her head. "You know, Morgan is a bigger nerd than I am. Ask him, you'll see," she said brightly, before her smile faltered and she gave him another, sincere, hug.

As Reid moved to talk to Hotch, Emily walked to Rossi and shook his hand. "I wish I could have learned more from you. It was a privilege."

"Kiddo, the pleasure was all mine", he said, wrapping his arms around her warmly. As Reid waited for him, he hugged Hotch finally, and said, "Dinner?"

"Anytime Dave," Hotch laughed. "Just like the old days- only this time, I'm the one who won't be talking about work."

With final smiles and a small wave from Reid, they were gone too, leaving Emily and Hotch standing in the corridor alone.

For a while, Hotch said nothing at all. He looked at the spots where his team had stood and sat, just moments before. He had nothing to comfort himself with; nothing to grant him any relief. Feeling desperately alone, he slumped against the wall and sighed, trying to clear his blurry eyes.

He felt a hand on his and he simply walked, devastated, with her into her room. She led him straight to the bed where she sat beside him and though neither said anything for a long time, they were both wondering about the future of the BAU. It wasn't that either of them were instrumental; it was that the team was perfect that way it had been. Losing Gideon was bad enough; losing Elle was weird- but losing both Hotch and Emily would damage the basic structure and operation of the BAU.

He looked over at her, where she sat with a concerned look on her face. "I... I took the photograph of the team from your desk. I didn't have one and I..."

"I get it. And it's fine, you can keep it. I have another one," she said kindly, still grasping his hand.

"What will I do now? What will I do for a job? It was the only place I've ever fitted in, my only true career of choice. Where do I go from here?" he asked, not expecting any sort of answer.

"You mean, where will _we_ go," she corrected.

"You're still going to leave?"

"Yes. I can't take your job Aaron, it feels weird. It wouldn't be the same. She'll give it to Rossi in the interim. I know the team will suffer and I hate that- but my head won't allow me to stay there. It's too political..." she trailed off. She knew that she would have to go there the next day to hand in her credentials and resign officially. It hurt her heart to do it, but her head screamed at her to get out while she could. She did feel awful about leaving the team in the lurch, but she had a funny feeling that it wasn't the last she would hear of the BAU.

"I'm going to go and get some coffee. Do you need anything?" he asked her, looking into her eyes for the first time in what felt like a millennium.

"Coffee would be great," she said, smiling again.

He loved it when she smiled. Their job had always repelled happiness- so it still floored him when she so freely showed her happiness.

***

Within three hours, they were both exhausted. Neither of them had slept for very long the night before, and they were, even then, supposed to be resting idly at home- something neither of them had done. And though they did not for a second regret the reckless abandon that had brought them together, they were each drowsy and quiet, albeit contentedly so, for the rest of the evening.

Visiting hours came to a close and he had to leave her there for the night on her own. He didn't want to, but he had no choice. The nurse had been shooting him filthy looks for hours, thinking that he was tiring Emily out.

He stood to go, looking for his cell and his keys, before turning to her.

"I'll be back tomorrow to bring you home."

"You don't have to do that," she said, but he was having none of it.

"I'll be back tomorrow Emily, to bring you home. Otherwise I won't get to do things like this..." he trailed off as he leaned over to kiss her lips. She half giggled and kissed him back just as happily for a few seconds before they pulled away.

"If you're going to pick me up... will you drop me to the BAU as well? The doctors said I can't drive and well... my car is at your house anyway. I have to tell Strauss..."

"If it's what you want- but Emily, I'm not being polite when I tell you that you deserve that job, and that nothing would make me happier than to have you replace me. Humour me; think about it for one more night."

She agreed, nodding sincerely. "I will. No, really, I will. It's a big opportunity. I'll think it through again."

"Good," he said, pressing one more kiss against her forehead before he left the room to go back to his car- boxes still stacked inside. The boxes to him signified the end of an era. Throughout his marriage, Haley in a good mood had joked that he would have married the BAU if she had let him.

She was probably right; and now it was coming down to this. His entire career, reduced to a few plaques in cardboard boxes; the relationships he'd built over the years now separated from him permanently.

Sighing as he got into the car, he pulled out of the hospital car park and headed home, defeated.

Strauss had won.


	10. Chapter Ten Principles

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Criminal Minds related. Characters are merely borrowed and will be put back later. ;)**

**A/N: To those of you who leave unsigned reviews, which I cannot reply to, I want to say here, thank you very much. I reply to all signed reviews I get, but unsigned ones are different. Nonetheless, I appreciate them very much indeed. :)**

**Fair and Foul**

**Chapter Ten- Principles**

"_Important principles may and must be inflexible."_

_Abraham Lincoln_

"Well, have a seat Emily," said Strauss in her most arrogant tone.

"Thank you, ma'am," Emily said pseudo- politely and sat.

She had spent all morning thinking about this. Aaron had picked her up at ten from the hospital; she had been awake and ready to leave for four hours before that. She had spent every hour she was awake thinking it through properly. And the night before, Aaron had sowed the seeds of doubt in her mind. She hadn't been sure what to do- and she was still thinking it through right this moment, though she had hours before finally, agonisingly, made her decision. She knew that he would be disappointed deep down, but she had no choice when she truly thought about it.

She recalled, as Strauss looked at her expectantly, him picking her up that morning. It had been sunny and clear, very few clouds grazing the sky- and he had held her hand as often as he could on the car trip. He had dropped her home first to get changed and hung around her kitchen and living room for a while, before helping her back into the car and to Quantico. Very few words had been spoken. He did not ask her what her decision was, preferring to leave it up to her.

And she had known, even then, what she was going to say to Strauss.

"Well Emily, I'm glad to see you back on your feet. I was worried for you," Strauss said, insincerity crippling her attempt at compassion. "Now that you're here, I'm hoping to hear your decision, though I appreciate that I had said you would have longer to think about it. But Aaron Hotchner simply could not be kept in his position; he was incompetent and a liability."

Her sweet as candy tone set Emily's blood boiling, but her face betrayed no such feeling.

"So, have you made your decision?" Strauss enquired politely.

"Yes, I have," Emily said softly.

"And?"

"I appreciate this, I really do," Emily said.

"You start today I'm afraid," Strauss stated, "We don't have time for-"

"You misunderstand," Emily interrupted.

"Excuse me?"

"You misunderstood me. I said that I appreciate this. What I mean is that I appreciate the opportunity you've offered me. I never said I was going to take it."

"This is a big mistake, Agent Prentiss," Strauss said, "Tread carefully."

"I'm sorry to disappoint. But I hate politics. I won't be your puppet at the head of the BAU. I refused to betray him once before, and I'm frankly insulted that you expect my ambition to beat out my loyalty this time too," Emily said, eyebrow furled into purposeful disagreement.

Strauss stared at her, open mouthed for a long time before replying. "This is the biggest mistake you will ever make. I'll give you one more chance to turn the tables and accept the job."

"No thank you. I don't think you realise that right now, you could offer me the world and I would refuse it. What you've done is deplorable and it completely undermines this team- not to mention the rest of the FBI. So not only am I not taking Aaron's job, today I'm tendering my resignation from the BAU- permanently."

Strauss' expression changed from disbelief to anger. "You got this job on a whim the first time. I put you in there because you wanted it and because of your connections- I never expected you to be any good at it. You showed some success, and losing you will doubtless disappoint the team. But just like the others who have left this unit, I can only point out to you that you are not irreplaceable."

"Maybe not, ma'am. But with all due respect, neither are you."

Emily stood to leave and pulled her gun from its holster, laying it on the table in front of Strauss. She reached into her pocket and took out her identification and laid that next to the handgun on the table.

"I still believe that you're making a big mistake Emily," Strauss suggested.

"And I believe that this is your mistake; not mine."

She left quickly but carefully, refusing to look back. She had other things to do before she left the BAU. She could see her former colleagues sitting around the bullpen, Rossi sitting with them instead of in his office. It was evident that none of them were getting any work done.

She walked toward them, an apologetic look on her face.

"I'm sorry. I simply couldn't stay here- not without Hotch, and not with her in charge."

She was on the verge of getting upset, which was the one thing she had been determined not to show- and she worked hard to keep her tone level and upstanding.

"We know. We knew yesterday that you weren't going to stay," Morgan said, reaching under his desk and emptying a box to give her, so that she could pack her stuff away- just as Hotch had done the day before.

"We don't blame you Emily. And we don't blame Hotch. Strauss is the problem here," Rossi interjected. Emily was relieved to see the rest of the team agree with him as they nodded and offered assurances.

"I know that it's a statistical disadvantage to be down two people, but we'll cope. And hopefully Strauss will get fired in the meantime," Reid half joked.

Emily smiled at them, moving her books and pictures from her desk into the box. "I'm sorry, really I am. As far as I could see, I didn't have another choice."

"We know. We don't blame you," JJ reiterated. "It just sucks with two of you gone."

Emily picked up the now full box and looked at the remains of the BAU before her. They seemed so small and contracted, so alone and depressed- thinner somehow, jaundiced into something unsubstantial.

"I have to go... Guys, I want you to know- we're on the other end of a phone, okay? If you need us."

She smiled at them and they warmly smiled back. She hoped it wouldn't be the last she would hear of them, but she couldn't help that awful feeling in the pit of her stomach- that she was making the wrong choice and that she shouldn't walk away from her team. She had become part of them and it had taken her months to do that.

She shook off her feeling of doubt and pushed open the glass doors, stepping into the elevator for the last time.

***

It was only when she got to the car that the wave of sadness overcame her. She sat in, box on her lap, and without even looking at Aaron, who was watching her concernedly, she started to cry, a lonesome tear or two trickling down her cheek. Forlorn but determined, she wiped them away before turning to look at him. "I guess we're both out of a job," she quipped, sounding unconcerned, though inside, she was screaming as her life fell into tatters.

"Emily... I never wanted you to do this. I didn't. I would have been just as happy to see you taking the job, I-"

"I know you would. But I can't be her puppet Aaron, I never could. The team will survive; Strauss made me perfectly aware of the fact that neither of us is irreplaceable."

Aaron sighed and turned the key in the ignition. "I know. But the team as it was will never be the same."

She nodded and glanced out the window at the Headquarters for the last time as he indicated and pulled out of the staff car park.

Though Emily's principles had won out in the end, she couldn't help but think that she had sabotaged her dreams and forced them into a recess that they might never emerge from.

For his part, Aaron was well aware that he was likely going to end up practicing law again. Though he had been a prosecutor once upon a time, life in a courtroom had never appealed to him as such. He had been easily bored and the frenetically charged atmosphere that would arise over a word in a statute or a question of law never fulfilled him as it seemed to fulfil others choosing to join the legal philandering of the state. In turn, he was unsure of what was going to happen to Emily. She might hate politics, but her sources could maybe land her in the state department. She was gifted with people and a very strong tactician. She could make a very successful career in government- but she never would choose that path- if the choice were hers.

Neither of them would ever get over the BAU and how they had so easily slotted into place among the team. It disgusted them both that they were now without it. Emily felt as though she was suffering the worst separation in history- and it took Aaron all of five minutes to realise that this was a worse feeling than that awful "being divorced" whirlwind.

He drove to her house and they sat in silence, though on occasion one would look at the other and smile reassuringly- both of them knowing the other was just trying to pacify rather than be sincere. When he reached her front door- though she hadn't seen it herself in over two days- he turned off the ignition and sat in the car for a few minutes, arms resting on the steering wheel, head hung low.

She turned to look at him and pulled one of his hands into hers. "Hey..." she said quietly, "We'll work this out. I know we will."

"I know. It's just... not being able to help is just... frustrating," he finished lamely. What he had wanted to do was throw his car keys out the window, scream and roar and beat his fists against a wall until his knuckles bled- but he couldn't do that.

"I know the feeling. Come in for coffee. Please," she said.

He nodded and they both got out of the car. The sun was beating down now, and he put his sunglasses on as soon as they emerged from the black SUV- which had long been his official mode of transport, and which now seemed like a lonely reminder of a past era. Shaking off that foreboding feeling, he followed her into the house.

***

It felt good to be home. She hadn't been there in what felt like forever because of everything that had happened, and things had changed hugely since she had last closed her front door. Sighing, she lowered her bag to the floor and pulled him with her to the kitchen, where he put his sunglasses on the tabletop, resting against it as he looked out at the Washington Monument in the distance.

The apartment was beautiful- spacious and pretty but not over-decorated; it was exactly the style that Haley hated, Aaron noted drily.

He accepted the cup of coffee she handed him five minutes later and took a sip of it, enjoying the warm sunshine thriving and dancing through the room from the wide window. She joined him and smiled ruefully. "So, when do we start checking the newspapers for new jobs?" she joked.

He glanced sideways at her and chuckled- "I doubt any of the people who advertise in newspapers would want us. Something tells me that an ex FBI agent isn't the best idea for a babysitter..."

They had relaxed back into themselves- but Emily had a burning question that she wanted to ask. She didn't want to be pushy, but she was so unsure of where she stood that it was aggravating her and she was over- thinking it.

"Aaron... It seems childish to ask, but..."

"You want to know where we stand," he started, to her amazement, " I want to know too. We never made it clear, it just happened... and I like certainties, so it's bothering me. So... where do we stand?"

"In the dole queue," Emily quipped lightly. His face broke into a wide smile and he laughed outright, one of the first times she had heard him do that. He returned to seriousness when he met her eyes, and put his cup down on the tabletop next to his sunglasses.

"Emily, there's no point in denying it... I want this. It feels so selfish, but..."

That fantastic smile lit up her face and she just looked at him for a while, staring into his entirely sincere eyes. Love had never been a strong point of hers- she had trouble maintaining stability and strength- due to her job and background, doubtless- and hence she lacked experience in the romance side of life. It was hard for her to take bets on things that were so uncertain- things like feelings and emotions. But how could she explain that without sounding like an idiot?

She decided that she couldn't, and that all he needed to know was that she wanted him near her just as much as he appeared to want her.

"I want this too," she half whispered, unsure of herself in murky waters that she rarely walked in. Her feelings were the things she protected above all else. She had learned to do it years before, compartmentalising everything into solid places in her head to be dealt with at separate times. Though she would never admit it, the wall that Aaron Hotchner had long held in front of himself was equally placed in front of her- and she was terrified of that wall coming down.

She realised after thinking through all of that that they were still just looking at each other. She had expected a moment like that to feel foolish, but there was a feeling of electricity in the small amount of air between them and before she could properly assess the situation with her head, her heart made a decision entirely of its own accord.

She kissed him more passionately than she had ever done before. There was a torrent of desperation and desire passing between them. She managed to remember to put her cup on the table before she moved to stand right in front of him, still intimately pressed against him, and still kissing him persistently. Within seconds, her arms were wrapped gently around his neck and his fingers had slipped just under her shirt, pressing softly against her ivory skin.

Emily was caught up in a moment of bliss that she rarely allowed herself. Of all the couples she had seen at the BAU and all the ones she had thought of in her time there, she would never have seen herself pressed against Aaron Hotchner in her kitchen.

She simply never would have said that he had real passion- and she was so wrong. Though he was handsome and strong, which everyone could see, his kisses were a sort of gentle fury, when he touched her he was careful but firm- and when he looked at her she felt herself blush every time.

Her hands found his face to pull him close and she sighed unwittingly when his teeth found her lips. He wrapped his arms around her properly and pulled her as close as he could, nibbling gently on her lip as he embraced her. She was lost, utterly and completely lost.

There was no way to deny it now- Aaron Hotchner really had fallen for her. Without any shadow of a doubt, he could safely say that he had never had this passion with Haley. It had gone from commitment to commitment to commitment- their entire marriage was built on stability with no risks- and that was something that he had learned to get from his job.

This woman was breaking him down, little piece by little piece- and he couldn't have been happier.

She tried her best not to whimper when his lips next found her ear- his breath tickled her like a whisper and her hands found the front of his shirt. He didn't stop her as she pulled buttons open slowly- instead he moved to her neck and pushed her jacket from her shoulders onto the floor, kissing her skin with reckless abandon.

And just as she pulled his shirt apart and pressed herself against him even more- if that were possible- her phone rang.


	11. Chapter Eleven Profiling

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Criminal Minds related. Characters are merely borrowed and will be put back later. ;)**

**Fair and Foul**

**Chapter Eleven- Profiling**

"_Crime is terribly revealing. Try and vary your methods as you will, your tastes, your habits, your attitude of mind, and your soul is revealed by your actions.__"_

_Agatha Christie_

Emily groaned, breathless and flushed. She was perfectly happy to ignore the trilling tone of the phone to kiss him again and again and again- as often as she could- but the person on the other end wasn't hanging up. Exasperated, she aimed to reach for her jacket on the floor- but Aaron caught her arm tenderly and stopped her. "You'll hurt yourself," he said, "And I don't want that."

She knew that his particular ailment was just as bad- if not worse, but she allowed him to reach for the jacket and hand it to her. She reached into the pocket as he rested his chin on her head and ran his hand along her lower back.

Emily pulled the phone open and, trying not to think about the warm hand on her back, said a quick "Hello?"

"Emily. It's JJ."

"JJ! Are you alright? You sound awful," she asserted and pulled away to look up at Aaron, whose eyes were now fixed concernedly on her face, tied into her and thinking the same thing- _what's wrong?_

"I- Emily, Strauss would kill me if she knew- but I had to call. We got a case. It's a bad one. We have nothing. It came in this morning and we're heading to New York in a few minutes. Strauss told us that we're not to contact you- not if we want to keep our jobs- but we've hit a brick wall."

Emily glanced up at Aaron and said "Hang on, I'll put you on speakerphone, Hotch is here with me."

JJ didn't even question why Hotch was at Emily's house. They had only left the Bureau about an hour ago- although an hour was really quite long, when she thought about it- but she was so worked up that she couldn't think it through properly.

"JJ, give us the details," Hotch said efficiently.

"You won't believe it, I promise. Five women and three men, six children and one pensioner killed in New York over the past three weeks."

"Fifteen people? In three weeks?" Emily asked, aghast.

"Yeah. But that's not the worst bit," JJ said softly- and Emily was very happy Aaron still had an arm around her waist- "He's sexually assaulted the women and the pensioner, beating them into submission, cut the limbs from the men and left the children dead and bleeding on the streets."

Emily flinched openly, disgusted by the detail. And she had a feeling she hadn't heard the worst of it.

"JJ, is there any way you can send us the full details?" Hotch enquired, already deep in thought- albeit looking very worried.

"Aaron," came a new voice over the phone- Rossi's- "We were hoping you and Emily would fly out and help us out."

"But Strauss said-", Emily began-

"We know. But you two are good at things like this- it could be terrorism or so far not need you. If you came out... we could be as quiet as we needed to around Strauss."

"I take it that Strauss will be at the scene?," Hotch asked drily.

"Yes. She's gone home to get packed- which is ridiculous, she's holding us up- but we had to call, and this is the best time," JJ said quietly.

Hotch looked at Emily in silence for a few seconds, neither of them making any change of expression or change of attitude. Emily was biting her lip, Aaron's face was twisted into the familiar swell of sickness at the crimes committed.

"We'll be there," Emily said decisively into the phone, never taking her eyes from Aaron's face.

"Thank you," JJ sighed.

Emily closed the phone and said nothing for a while, hoping he would either yell at her or jump right into the investigation. But she knew him better than that- he was weighing, measuring, thinking through logically the sense of them going to New York.

"Aaron..."

"I think you made the right choice. We'll go there. I'll go there- happily. But it doesn't look good for the BAU's survival long term if they can't cope. She's destroyed their confidence and their structure," he sighed angrily. "Let's get ready to go. My bag is still in my car," he noted softly and when she smiled at him he muttered "Old habits die hard I suppose..."

***

She had never been in the car with him for an extended period when he was moderately stressed and caught up in thought about a case. He talked to her, discussed the case with her, and yet the romantic side still shone through- he deeply regretted that JJ had called at right that minute. Could she not have waited an hour?!

"What do you think? Does Dave have a point, terrorism?" he asked her as they came to a halt at a red light.

"I'm not sure. JJ said nothing about the killer making any point, we'll have to see when we get there. But generally it doesn't seem to fit the bill- there are specifics for each gender, three different MOs, and children? Why target children? I don't think it's political."

"I agree with you- this is probably the closest thing to Frank we're likely to find. Entirely purposeless and if the killer is really making no point, then he's a real psychosadist- the worst kind."

She nodded and sighed. She felt as though she had never been gone, and sick though the thought was, she was glad that the separation anxiety was hitting everyone equally.

***

On the plane, they didn't talk about the case. A commercial airliner in the wake of the post 9/11 torture of flight traffic restrictions and fears was not the place to discuss mass killings. They spent the flight pleasantly enough, determined to put the badness out of their minds as often as they could- not to mention the complications arising from their involvement with it. If they were to be honest, it made both of their heads spin. Aaron held her hand and kissed her fingers and lips whenever he could, happy to be seen with her and talking to her.

She felt relaxed by the time they got off the plane, their "hand luggage only" status preventing a long queue to get out of the airport. She thought she never seen Newark quite so busy, but she shrugged it off, knowing that it was only because she never usually flew there- especially not on a commuter flight at this time. She missed the BAU jet- the bar stocked and ready when she needed some Dutch courage, the quiet and important talks that had happened and overall, the amount of available sleep space.

She knew exactly where they were headed. It was always the same, only this time they had to rent a car and slowly drive through traffic- total nightmare- before they arrived at the old familiar hotel they always used. It wasn't overtly expensive, and it wasn't overtly luxurious, but the BAU team had decided many years before that spending large parts of their budgets on hotel rooms they rarely saw was pointless; it wasted resources that would be better spent elsewhere.

Wandering into the lobby, Emily took off her sunglasses and walked to the desk as Aaron checked his messages- Rossi had left one to say that they had arrived at the hotel an hour previously (having skipped the traffic and the commercial flight)- and that they were heading out on the case. As Aaron continued to listen to the message, he watched Emily booking them rooms.

When she was finished talking to the clerk, she passed her credit card over the counter and paid quickly and efficiently. Usually, this step was also forgotten about with the BAU- a hotel bill was generally sent to the Bureau and the Bureau dealt with the expenses.

Sighing, he wandered closer to the desk and Emily turned to face him. "Here's your key," she said, handing him a plastic card which he took from her while turning to face the receptionist.

"I believe you're holding something for us? Emily Prentiss and Aaron Hotchner, a friend dropped something off here earlier..."

The receptionist said that she would check and looked under the table, quickly producing a rather large brown envelope and handing it over. Emily took it and smiled at her, before turning to head for the elevator.

Aaron Hotchner hated elevators. Always had, always would; but there was no way he could climb the stairs to the 13th floor. Thankfully it was spacious and empty but for the two of them. There was no point in denying it; he was nervous about what sat in the envelope Emily had under her arm. It seemed so counteractive to be here in New York, helping the team, when he knew that eventually they would have no option but to do this on their own. He wasn't sure why he had come. The logic had occurred to him that the team would eventually have to fend for themselves, but his heart was still intricately tied to the FBI and the loyalties that he still had there. He simply wanted to help.

Emily glanced over at him. "Aaron. I know exactly what you're thinking," she said as the elevator beeped and the doors pulled open, "Don't think about it. We're only here as a backup."

He nodded at her and took her hand as they stepped out of the lift, wandering down the hall with her. "I don't want to be presumptuous," Emily said, "But I might as well tell you that it's one room. They had no singles, and well... it did cost less."

"Emily. I know. I would have done the same thing. This isn't being offset with FBI funds."

"Exactly," she intoned, disgusted once more at being outside the loop of the team. She had never realised how hard it was going to be, separated from the internal thinking of the entire BAU- everything was oddly different and the entire experience was surreal.

Hotch pushed the key into the door and when the green light flashed on, he pushed it open, letting her inside before following her. She dumped her bag on one of the beds and sat down at the nearby table, brown envelope with their names written on it in front of her. He followed suit, dropping his bag next to hers and sitting on the other chair, pulling it to the table.

She opened the envelope and took out a number of files, the provisional thoughts of the team contracted into shorthand on some of Rossi's notepaper tucked in with them. The photographs fell out of the files and the gruesome images spread across the table.

"What is that....?" Emily asked, though she had already worked it out. Staring up at her from one photograph was, undeniably, a number of human hands- five, she counted- some of the fingers interlaced and some broken.

"We need somewhere to pin these up or lay them out," Hotch noted, reading Rossi's handwriting.

"The closest thing to a notice board we have is the other bed," she noted, standing up with some of the picture in her hands and walking to it, laying them out in her traditional fashion, grouping them according to victim type and the names attributed to each. The photographs of the crime scenes, such as the one with the hands on it, she grouped in a separate area and she just looked at them all for a few minutes, thinking about the chain of events that had led to such brutality.

She was thinking about how to overcome some of the doubtless fit and strong men in the photographs when Hotch brushed past her to look at some of the pictures in detail.

"Rossi's notes point out that there's no message here. He's just abducting people, taking their shoes and clothes, beating them senseless, sexually abusing any women but not children or men. He severs the hands of all the victims, but only actually fully dismembers the men."

"Looks like a medic of sorts. He definitely has medical experience, there's some very neat work in the cuttings on the edges of the wounds," Emily said, "And none of them are related, I presume, judging by the names. If he gets some sort of sexual satisfaction from the women, what's the deal with the men? And the children? Not to mind the hands, why take the hands from all of them? Some of the fingers are broken, almost as though-"

"Almost as though they were alive and kicking when their hands were sliced off," he finished for her. She nodded as he continued, "There are smaller cuts around the wrist areas that resemble hesitation marks, but I don't think that's what they are. I think the victims fought back sometimes or somehow, and he couldn't control them at times- mostly the men."

"Age is just a number to this guy, and nothing more. None of the women look alike and none of the men had the same profession or social class. The children had mostly been out playing or walking- which means he must blitz them or be friendly enough to approach them- and the old woman... Well, that makes no sense at all. It's manic, more raging than anything else he'd done before. Did she just get in his way?" Emily suggested, half to herself.

"It doesn't make a whole lot of sense- three separate MOs, no sincere pattern of victimology, no signature that we can see. It's almost as though he's not a serial at all," Hotch noted.

"The MO is specific to gender and age, that's the only thing that sticks out. Maybe that's a signature of itself?" Emily thought aloud. "Seems a bit like George Foyet... an omnivore."

"Exactly. An omnivore. He has a system for everyone, he's not being picky. He'll fit himself around what he finds on the street. Still, he shows preference; the younger women were beaten worse and abused worse than the older women and the pensioner. The men were ripped apart and degraded- maybe they're not good enough to fit his standards?"

"Might be," she said, "But what about the kids?"

"They remind me of Frank. He always said that hurting children did nothing for him- but he targeted them when he wanted to make a point to Gideon. I think the point he might be trying to make is that he has no type-" Hotch said, "But what's really striking me is that if you put these on a pedestal, these are ordinary men and women, family people, no criminal records for any of them, nothing that makes them stand out at all. He's avoiding anyone of consequence, anyone extraordinary, and none of them were attacked in their homes."

"Yes! If we look at it in a different way, what he's not saying is of more importance than what he is. He doesn't trespass, he treats men as lesser beings, he leaves no message so he has nothing to prove- he's narcissistic but only insofar as he has to make us see him that way," Emily noted, seeing they were coming to something.

"So if he's looking for no response, that means he needs none. He's not dependent on our attentions, he doesn't need them- he has enough attention as things stand. Someone in the public eye, someone with power in his hands- because he shows most brutality toward women in their 20s, we could say that he might be a little older than them. Definitely white."

"Probably has a criminal record for sexual assault or at least attempts- but it feels like we're still missing something," Emily said, the idea niggling in the back of her mind.

"He's highly intelligent and focused on what he has to do... hang on. We said maybe medical. What if he's a surgeon?" Hotch finished.

Emily picked up her cell phone and rang Morgan. Within five minutes, the profile was fitted and ready to go- but it didn't make Hotch feel any better. He felt even worse than before. The help they could give was worthless in the long term- because Strauss simply wouldn't let them in.


	12. Chapter Twelve Saved

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Criminal Minds related. Characters are merely borrowed and will be put back later. ;)**

**Fair and Foul**

**Chapter Twelve- Saved**

"_There is no den in the world to hide a rogue; commit a crime and the earth is made of glass."_

_Ralph Waldo Emerson_

There came a knock at the door about four hours after the phone call- it seemed that some of the team, at least, had come from their base to talk to Hotch and Emily. Hotch pulled open the door, his top button open, tie discarded and hanging from a chair and sleeves wrinkled and pushed up. Emily was sitting on the chair and looking again at the crime scene photos, talking it through in her head and making more and more sense of it each time.

Rossi and JJ came into the room and took a look around. "I can't believe you two did it so quickly," JJ said, "We had just started in on the same route- you got there much faster."

"I think it was a combination of overt willingness to help coupled with the fact that we're both still in bits over losing our jobs," Aaron said honestly. "Do we have any idea how accurate it is?"

"It seems right," Rossi said quietly, "but it's a tough case Hotch. We've had to go back over the profile you two came up with and we've had to pretend that it was our own- we've had to lie and cheat and scrounge information from Strauss, who's the only one with the case file."

"I don't understand. She allowed only one case file?" Emily said incredulously as Hotch sat on the edge of the bed opposite her. Multiple case files meant that there were multiple ways of targeting and discussing different points at the same time. That was how it worked.

"Exactly. The files you have are the ones Garcia made copies of. I threw my notes into that envelope in the toilet on the jet- it's ridiculous. Our work is taking us twice as much time, but crimes like these are generally the ones you two are good at and fastest at. We were on the right track, but we're tired and dejected with two of us gone. It feels unbalanced, like we're walking a tightrope," Rossi finished.

There was a silence in the room- it was evident to everybody that not only had Strauss damaged the team, she was trying to assert total control over it in order to prevent Hotch or Emily from being contacted. She was losing time and so the bodies were more likely to stack up, preventing the FBI from doing their jobs to the best of their abilities.

"Where does she think you two are now?," Emily asked.

"Gone to interview a witness. We told her there were one or two questions we had thought to ask the pensioner's daughter. She insisted that we write the questions down before we left," JJ said drily.

Hotch leaned over, putting his head in his hands and sighing. "She's micromanaging. It's destroying the way the team operates, obviously. I'll be surprised if she even allows Garcia to do anything without consent. Dave, it's a serious issue. If another victim gets killed because Strauss is acting up, call us," Hotch said into his own hands.

"We will, don't worry. Morgan is only just keeping his cool at the moment- if she steps on his toes once more, he'll lose it and I guarantee you that Stauss would only too happily get rid of him too."

"Dave, we better go. She said to be back in an hour to let her know what was going on," JJ said tentatively, checking her watch.

"She's putting time limits on you?" Emily said, incredulous.

"Yeah. She told us this morning that we had two hours to make a profile. Reid thought she was joking and laughed aloud before he realised she was being serious," JJ relayed.

"Hold on," Hotch said, "Why are you all abiding by her rules?"

It was a valid question- there was no reason for the team to do that, they could simply argue that they were doing things as they always had and that she would have to move with the team. Before, she had been partially willing to do that and her inexperience had led her to agree with them on some things.

"Because she's installed herself as Unit Chief," Rossi said.

There was a roaring silence as Hotch looked up suddenly and Emily's mouth fell open slightly.

"It's suffocating. Any one of us can get an insubordination report filed if she feels like it- and she thinks you were too lax, so she's willing to threaten. Nobody's taking her up on it," JJ finished sadly.

***

When they were gone, Emily sat in silence for a long, long time. Aaron was unsure of what to say to her, but he knew what she was thinking. If she had taken the job, the team would not be struggling. He knew that she was questioning her principles and her reasons- and though he knew that neither he nor the team thought she had done the wrong thing, he also knew that she went quiet when she doubted herself.

And right now, she was a mask of silence.

Eventually he couldn't take it anymore and moved from the bed, where he had been watching her, to the floor in front of her chair. He knelt there, looking up at her for a while longer before he reached for her hand. "Emily..."

"Is this my fault?" she asked outright.

"No," he said, directly and reassuringly.

"How can you know? How can you be so sure?"

"It's just like a serial killer. George Foyet offered me a deal that I wouldn't take. Because I didn't take it, seven people died. If you had taken Strauss' offer up, you'd be in her position, but she would be above you. She would have been on this case anyway and she would have done her utmost to manipulate and mould you into the mole she wanted all along. Because we all know that you would have defied her, I know that she was likely to fire you anyway."

Emily focused in on him, looking into his very sincere eyes. He really didn't think she was to blame. It didn't stop her doubting herself, but she began to lay more blame on Strauss.

It was past 5pm now, and the sky was darkening ever so slightly outside. He raised an eyebrow at her; she had not answered him yet, and he needed her to realise that this fiasco was not her fault. "Emily? It's really not your fault."

She never replied, but leaned closer to him and pressed her lips delicately against his cheek before standing up. He pulled himself up with her and as she turned away to look at the photographs- again- he pulled her back- "We both need a break," he said, folding his arms around her and hugging her. She smiled into his shoulder and tied her arms around him. They stood that way for a long time, neither moving nor talking, simply caught up in a disbelieving moment that they were there- with each other- after spending so much time being purely professional.

Emily and Aaron both found that the comfort of having someone to share a case with on a more personal level was helping them both to overcome the horror and grimness of the details in front of them. The BAU had always been a place to leave private lives outside the door, but the more he thought about it, Aaron realised that this sense of safety he had was coming from having someone near him; someone he cared about.

He kissed her forehead and smoothed her hair. Emily shuddered. It was a caring and intimate gesture, something she wasn't used to. She caught herself wondering how Haley could ever have walked out and left him, knowing that the job he was doing was to make the world a better place. "I'm hungry," he said quietly, "but we can't leave here in case they call back- if we miss a call they might not get an opportunity to ring again."

"Room service," she replied with a smile, "the faster we get it the better. I'm starved."

***

Within fifteen minutes the food had arrived. The table and one of the beds being covered with files and photographs, carefully laid out and sorted, meant that they had to use the other bed for eating- something Emily's mother had forbidden her doing as a child, and something she still relished as an opportunity to break the rules.

They were talking about nothing in particular as they ate- the two of them were so hungry that a lot of the conversation focused on food and various types of it, Chinese, Indian, Mexican, what they each thought of it. Emily found that she learned a lot about him as he opened up more and more.

The phone rang about an hour into their meal and Hotch, tiredness on his face again, picked it up. "Hotchner."

"Hotch, it's Reid. We were wondering if you would be willing to help? We can't spread the team far enough and we have five suspects. We have absolutely no way of narrowing it down. Can you make it into the field?"

"Reid, we have no jackets, no guns, no credentials."

"I know. But it's just a quick stakeout. Morgan has a theory that he might have something to do with it, but Strauss won't let us near the suspect."

"Send the details to Prentiss' PDA. We'll go check him out."

Emily immediately reached for the PDA in her bag and received the file, showing the picture and details to Hotch, who seemed to be back in job mode right along with her.

"I know where this address is," she said, "We can get there in twenty minutes."

***

It was very quiet, and dark had truly fallen. Emily had pointed out that walking would be faster- and less noticeable- than driving. Since they had nothing to arm themselves with, they had nothing to prepare themselves with and so they had to be careful not to allow themselves to get involved in anything that the man in the photograph, Frank Thomas, might be doing.

Having said that, with a further three innocent people still missing- though they could never be sure that Thomas had them- Hotch knew in his heart that he would never be able to risk their lives if it came down to the wire. His cell was in his pocket and because of the warm night air coming through the window, he had left his jacket behind in the hotel room before they left.

Emily was thinking the exact same things- it would be very risky for them to intervene if they had to, but she wasn't going to stand by and watch either. If she was needed, she would, of course, help. It still felt like her duty and her responsibility to do so, even though she might be doing it without the hardware she generally needed.

They meandered slowly along the street, holding hands, trying not to look too suspicious and simply looking at one or two of the residences as they passed them by. Emily was the first to notice that the light in the basement of the house they were seeking was on, the window just visible above a copse of plant life in the front yard. She nudged Hotch and pointed to it. "Seems like he might be down there, all the other lights are off."

"We should go closer," Hotch said, "We have to know if he's there and if he is, what he's doing. The least we'll do is eliminate him from enquiries."

They crossed the road casually and approached the house. Emily walked into the front yard, her dark jacket easier to camouflage in the dark grass, and leaned closer to the basement window. The light was streaming out from there and as her eyes adjusted, she knew immediately that Morgan's theory had been correct. This guy was their unsub.

There was a cage in the corner of the room- and there were two people in it. Neither seemed to be moving- maybe they were asleep, though she doubted it- and in the centre of the floor there was a simple table, old but polished, strong and sturdy- and there were a selection of knives next to it on a tray, none of them dirty or bloody or implicating. The only implication that this was the area the unsub used to chop people apart was the fact that there was a red wash of colour across the table's surface- blood stains that had been washed and rewashed to make it as clean as possible- a remnant of medical training without a doubt.

Rising, she headed back to where Aaron waited for her by the gate with his back turned to her, his heart a chattering wave of debris in his chest, pounding loudly and dangerously. This was a hell of a lot easier to do with a gun. She reached him in thirty seconds and touched his arm to let him know she was there. With a small jump he turned to see her and raised his eyebrows in a question.

"It's definitely him. He has a pseudo operating area- and there are two people in a cage down there. At very least we have him on false imprisonment."

Hotch pulled his cell out and dialled Rossi- no answer. He tried Morgan- no answer. Reid and JJ didn't answer either, and he finally called Garcia at Quantico.

"Garcia, it's Hotch. You need to tell the others that we've found the unsub, it's Frank Thomas. He's inside his house with two people locked up- we have no way of intercepting him and the team needs to get here now."

"Oh- sir- yes. I'll let them know as soon as possible, but they're all in the field. Strauss is with Rossi and Reid while JJ went with Morgan- they each have to cover another residence before I'll hear from them."

"Garcia, you need to phone them- phone JJ and Morgan, they don't have her watching them."

"Oh- alright. Okay." And she was gone.

Emily suggested that they move across the road again in case Frank Thomas left the house, and Hotch agreed. They re-crossed the road and stood near another gate, leaning casually against a wall and talking quietly about what Emily had seen inside. They still had no way of knowing whether the people inside were alive or dead.

Over ten minutes had passed and Hotch picked up the phone to call Garcia again. Before he finished dialling, the front door of the house opposite them opened and out emerged their serial killer. He didn't look shifty or dangerous; he seemed totally calm and ordinary. He seemed to sense someone watching him and began to look up and down the street. Emily realised that he had felt eyes on him and she quickly turned to face Aaron, grabbing his shirt sleeves and pulling him down to kiss her.

He knew immediately what she was doing- to the man across the street they looked like an innocent civilian couple. What he wasn't sure of was whether the unsub would attack two people at once, and so his heart still beat hard in his chest- and that was before he thought about the woman he held in his arms as he kissed her.

Aaron Hotchner fully trusted his instincts- the hair on the back of his neck told him that Frank Thomas was watching them, weighing his options, trying to decide what to do. He continued to kiss Emily for a few seconds before he pulled away, ever so slightly, to whisper into her ear, "He's still watching us. I'm going to turn us- look at him to see exactly where he is." He returned to her mouth and she whispered a quiet agreement through kisses.

Aaron turned them so that she was pressed against the wall and as he turned she opened her eyes and saw the unsub. He was less than twenty feet away, seemingly moving closer with every passing second. "He's coming for us," she whispered, fear rising in her chest. Aaron tensed but kept his lips pressed to hers, conscious that this might well be the last time he would kiss her.

Emily was aware that this was an exceptionally dangerous man. He might not be holding anything noticeable, but a scalpe in his hand would be as dangerous as a gun in hers- fatally accurate and damaging; she had no way of knowing what he would do.

Before she had time to fully think it through, sirens wailed and lights flashed just a hundred or so feet away, cars speeding toward them. The BAU had reached the neighbourhood about five minutes previously, pretending to Strauss that they had gotten an anonymous tip off.

They had seen the unsub emerge from the house and seen him approach the couple on the street. But Strauss, uncertain about the tip off, had not allowed them to make a move until they saw how he interacted with the couple.

It was only when Frank Thomas raised his fist and a glint of silver shone from the knife he clutched that she allowed them to move. But Frank Thomas had already brought his hand down- hard- toward the man's right shoulder. It all happened in slow motion, a desperate cycle of events in which everyone had an ulterior motive.

Morgan, who had realised some seconds previously that they couple on the street were Hotch and Prentiss, jumped from the car with his gun raised, screaming at the unsub to lower the weapon. He was less than a syllable in when Hotch raised his arm and blocked the attack, knocking the knife from Thomas' hand. Emily leaned over and grabbed the blade while Rossi, JJ and Reid- frantic- ran toward their friends as Morgan jumped the attacker and handcuffed him.

"There are two people inside, basement," Emily said calmly as Hotch shook Rossi's hand. Rossi and Reid headed for the house and Morgan stepped aside as the New York officers pulled Frank Thomas up from the ground and led him to a squad car. Behind them emerged Erin Strauss- looking angry- angrier than Hotch had seen her- and upset. The team she had surrogated and taken on as her own- despite their opposition to it- had stabbed her in the back.

There would be hell to pay for this.


	13. Chapter Thirteen Harsh Words

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Criminal Minds related. Characters are merely borrowed and will be put back later. ;)**

**Fair and Foul**

**Chapter Thirteen- Harsh Words**

"_When the habitually even-tempered suddenly fly into a passion, that explosion is apt to be more impressive than the outburst of the most violent amongst us."_

_Margery Allingham_

Within a few seconds, the chaos had come. Strauss had rollicked her way through the crowd which had gathered on the street in seconds, stormed towards the team and confronted them, in public, in a rage of fury Emily had never known her to be capable of.

After roaring at them for five minutes- an entire five minutes- she told them to get into their cars and get back to the jet within fifteen minutes. She looked pointedly at Hotch and Emily as she turned on her heel to leave, "You two will also be there- I'm not finished with either of you. And be glad that your actions were of two people not in the FBI- otherwise I'd have fired you both for fraternisation."

"Actually, Erin, Prentiss and I will be returning to our hotel, where we will collect our bags and discuss the possibility of joining you at the jet."

"Do not test my patience."

"You have no authority to order us to be anywhere tor to do anything, Strauss. We won't be forced," Emily stated.

Aware that she was caught in a trap, Strauss coughed angrily and left.

Emily knew that both she and Hotch would be on the jet home- but that they would be late arriving to the hangar to get the flight. They were perfectly willing to test her patience and her rules. And further to that, they both knew that she had interfered beyond her brief in a field investigation, a field investigation she was not even part of a team for.

Emily was also aware that she and Hotch had provided the full profile and that Erin Strauss' inadequacy meant the unsub had, as had just been confirmed before Strauss left, killed another two people on her watch. The top brass at Quantico were going to be less than satisfied with Strauss and both Hotch and Emily knew that her yelling at them was nothing compared to the dressing down she would get on her arrival in Virginia.

They started their walk back to the hotel slowly, and as soon as the street was empty they held hands. Emily's heart was still thumping in her chest- she missed the assurance of a gun and self control, but there was no way to get it back without being in the FBI again. She rested her head on Aaron's shoulder as they walked relatively slowly back to where this had all started.

They were only walking about five minutes when a black SUV circled around to pull up beside them. The window rolled down and Rossi yelled across JJ's lap- "Get in."

Hotch opened the back door and left Emily in first. They two of them getting in still took time, wounds from only days previously straining with the new stress they had just had. Rossi turned to look at them, "I knew it wasn't a momentary thing," he smiled, thinking of the kisses and the way they had started walking back to the hotel.

Hotch said nothing, but couldn't stop a small smile spreading across his face. "Just don't tell Strauss," JJ said, grinning widely, "She's hot and bothered enough as it is."

"We'll drop you at the hotel and we'll wait for you to get your bags- we don't want to be the first ones to feel her anger," Rossi noted as he pulled away from the kerb.

On the way to the hotel, they talked back and forth about the case and the unsub, the victims and the numerous, almost countless, mistakes Strauss had made. All the while, Emily's fingers were entwined in Aaron's and there was a more relaxed atmosphere in the car. Their first case with Strauss was done, and there was a prevailing hope that it would be their last case with her too.

The journey to the hotel was fast. Emily and Hotch walked to the elevator and ascended the 13 floors. While Emily checked out of the hotel online, Hotch walked around the room, collecting the photographs and files, putting them back in the envelope and picking up their two bags, tucking the envelope into Emily's. She made a quick check of the room to make sure they had forgotten nothing and then they were gone. The entire thing took about a minute and a half- standard practice for the BAU.

The trip to the hangar took longer, and some of the relaxed feeling was gone now. Strauss was probably having a fit at this stage, they were over 15 minutes late- and they had a feeling that none of the others would have been there on time either.

Rossi and JJ left the car first, knowing that it would be picked up later by FBI agents from the local branch. They approached the hangar and hoped for the best, leaving Hotch and Emily in the car.

Just as Emily moved to open the door to get out, Aaron stopped her by putting his hand gently on her thigh. "Are you okay?" he asked her. She smiled, "I'm fine. You're the one who almost got stabbed."

"Mmm," he said thoughtfully. She took his hand in her own and pulled herself closer to him, kissing him slowly, her other hand cupping his face softly. He kissed her back happily, knowing that this delay would only anger Strauss further. After a few seconds though, Emily pulled away. "I could do that all day," she said, noticing that his hand had found her lower back and was stroking her softly, "but we have to face the music at some point."

He nodded and grabbed the bags again, getting out one side of the car while she emerged from the other. They had been lucky that the car windows were blacked out, because Morgan and Reid were just walking past them onto the steps of the jet which stood waiting.

Taking deep breaths, the four of them joined together and walked slowly forward to meet a very angry Strauss, standing at the plane door and practically frothing at the mouth.

They each walked past her, heads held high, Morgan with a characteristic furl of his eyebrow in her direction, and took their seats. The four of them crowded around the table, Emily sitting between Hotch and the window, facing Morgan who sat next to Reid.

Rossi was sitting in the seat opposite them and JJ sat near him. Garcia was watching events unfolding from Quantico, her face viewable on the laptop screen next to JJ.

Strauss gave the order for the plane to leave and sat down on a chair away from the team with a soft thump. She was trying to work out how to tell them how ashamed she was that her own team, the team she was now the leader of, had mutinied against her and trusted others. As the plane reached the pinnacle of its rise and she was able to stand, she did so.

Anger fumed in her every step as she paced the plane, back and forth, back and forth, the incessant silence bothering her more than she dared to let on. It was clear that nobody was going to challenge her.

"Who invited Hotchner and Prentiss?" she asked very quietly all of a sudden, coming to a stop with her back to them. For a moment, nobody answered her and then, "I did," said Rossi calmly.

"You do realise that you spilled information to two civilians- and untrustworthy civilians at that?" she said. Hotch's lip tightened and Emily looked at Morgan with a tiny shake of her head, disbelief written across her face.

"I would have said that in their time in BAU, Aaron and Emily proved a lot and did a lot for the unit. It was reasonable for us to ask other people with experience for help with a profile; it wouldn't be the first time. I was asked to consult myself on more than one occasion when Hotch headed the team and I was in retirement.

"Maybe so, but I had expressly forbidden their involvement. It doesn't help the team to stand on its own two feet if they are involved."

"Then perhaps you shouldn't have taken our base away," Reid intoned, being perfectly honest in that awkward way he sometimes was. It was the first thing he had said to her in almost a day, and she was furious with him for his apparent disability to see her as the team leader. Throughout the investigation, he had done his own thing and worked his own way, stoutly refusing to stick to her timetables and her thinking. It had driven her mad- and now he was making smart comments too.

"When I want your opinion, I'll ask for it," she said coldly. Reid looked away, shrugged and pulled a book from the bag next to him, settling down to read it. She growled at him but he completely ignored her; angry, upset and feeling lost, Reid withdrew from the conversation.

Aaron's lip tightened again- Strauss didn't notice and continued her rant. "As for you two," she said, rounding on them, "I'm ashamed of you. Between the two of you, you put my investigation at risk and Prentiss, I thought better of you. I never thought you would sell yourself out to get closer to a man- and what's more, you left the opportunities that I offered you behind. You're an embarrassment to the FBI."

"She is not an embarrassment."

The calm hardness of the tone intimidated Strauss- she had expected Hotchner to look down on her, tell her she done a bad job and challenge her. But the thing he chose to finally speak up about were the insults she had directed at Emily Prentiss?

She was caught speechless for a brief moment before she re-launched herself into overdrive.

"Don't start. You ruined my investigation and undermined me in front of this team. No matter how often I try to get rid of you, you keep crawling back here through the dirt. You do not work with the FBI anymore. Do I make myself clear?"

"Perfectly," he said, seething, "But I know that the top brass won't be impressed when they find out that you destroyed a team for no reason, fired me and intimidated Emily, refused to allow a field officer of great experience to head the team and then to top it all, two more people died on your watch because you wouldn't let any of the BAU out of your sight for fear that they would ask for help."

He had gotten louder as he spoke, though he had not lost his temper. His point was made, clearly and efficiently- even Reid had stopped reading to survey the shuddering electricity between Strauss and Hotchner.

"Aaron Hotchner, I will make sure that you will never, ever get a reference from the BAU for any future work- and neither will you, Prentiss. You might have done some good work, but overall you were a failure when I needed you."

Hotch suddenly banged his fist against the table and stood up to face her. He seemed to tower above her- though he wasn't much taller than her- and anger lined his face. He had never, ever lost his temper before; not in front of this team. He was the calm one, the polite one, who took bad news and bad announcements in stride. When he blamed himself, he became dejected- and when he blamed someone else, he did it quietly so that only that person would know.

"Don't you ever tell any member of this team that they have failed," he said slowly, "Never. The members of this team tread a cautious line- any of the cases we investigate could tear a person's conscience to threads. They do not fail."

"Well, they failed tonight. If it took you and Prentiss to make the profile, as I gather it did, then this team clearly cannot operate without either of you."

"That's not true," Hotch said angrily, "It was Morgan who worked out the suspect, Rossi who had narrowed it down in the first place and Reid who worked out the steps from the beginning to the base profile we were given to work with. They didn't fail Erin- if anyone failed, it was you."

She stopped still and glared at him, mouth slightly open, focused on his still raging face. She had never seen him lose his cool like this; even when she fired him he had been stoic.

"Sit down Hotchner, or I will have you put into custody."

"I very much doubt that anyone on this plane will arrest him," Emily pointed out simply from his side. "It's you who'll be questioned when we get to Virginia, Strauss. You installed a time limit on this team, destructed their actions and methodology and it was on your watch that two people died needlessly."

"Shut up!" Strauss snarled suddenly, turning her fury on Emily. "Shut up."

Garcia's mouth, on the laptop, opened wider than it had when Hotch stood up and yelled- shocked at Erin Strauss' attitude. Her inability to see where she had gone wrong meant that Strauss could never be a part of the BAU team. She was a liability- even Garcia knew that and she wasn't a profiler.

Aaron stepped toward Strauss, just one step- it was enough to change her tone and her manner as she moved to back away from him.

"Don't ever tell a member of my team to shut up," he said softly, almost dangerously.

Strauss twitched her head and stalked away from him, to plonk herself down in the seat farthest from the team she had tried to commandeer.

Morgan looked at Hotch and stood to meet his gaze. "Come on man, sit down."

"I'm fine," Hotch said, entirely calm again. He turned and sat back into his seat beside Emily, who looked at him, met his eyes and mouthed, "Thanks".

He nodded at her and then turned to the rest of the team. "I don't know what will happen when we get to Virginia. It shouldn't be that long before we land, but either way, it's been an absolute honour."

"Sir," came Garcia's voice from the laptop, "You don't actually think they'll allow you to remain... well, fired?"

"I don't know Garcia. I hope not, but I don't know," he sighed.

The rest of the plane journey passed in a silence that was tender and sore- the team were honoured that Hotch had stood up for them- but on the other end of the plane, a seething and beaten Erin Strauss shot daggered looks at each of them, determined that she would not lose her job over an altercation after her first case as head of the BAU.

She wanted desperately to go back down there and tell Aaron Hotchner where to go- but she didn't have the nerve to do it. As the plane descended, a tight feeling came to her stomach. This fight was only beginning.


	14. Chapter Fourteen Responsibilities

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Criminal Minds related. Characters are merely borrowed and will be put back later. ;)**

**Fair and Foul**

**Chapter Fourteen- Responsibilities**

_"A father is a guy who has snapshots in his wallet where his money used to be." _

_Author Unknown_

The BAU was a whirlwind of activity when they arrived, Hotch and Emily following the team to the conference room. Garcia had been informed of the director's intention to speak with them all as soon as they arrived, Emily, Hotch and Strauss included.

The latter looked downcast, shadowed and weary; it had been a rough case and she hadn't been able to keep food down properly since it had begun. Her compartmentalising skills weren't good and she hadn't accepted that it took time to learn to be a part of such a team- not to mind trying to leading it.

The conference room was quiet but for Penelope Garcia, sitting at the table and fidgeting somewhat, unsure of what to do or say, awed by Hotch's response on the plane but otherwise overwhelmed by the disruption of peace at Quantico. She just wanted her team back- all of them, and not Strauss.

Sighing happily when they arrived, she smiled widely at Hotch and Emily. Diana Spencer had called them the Knights of the Round- and their unwavering loyalty to Hotch proved to be more substantial than any myth; the BAU wanted their leader back and they intended to let the director know that.

Without a moment's hesitation before he sat, Rossi pulled over an extra chair and gestured to Strauss to sit down. She did so, though her cheeks flared at the gesture. They all took their seats after her, Morgan next to Garcia, Emily next to Hotch and Reid, Rossi near JJ and Strauss- and they waited.

It wasn't a long wait. The director, Michael Stokes, came in a few seconds later, walking toward them and reaching out to shake Hotch's hand as Hotch stood to greet him.

"Agent Hotchner," Stokes said with an efficient and quick smile, "and Agent Prentiss," he said to Emily, shaking her hand too. There were files in his left hand and he immediately struck Reid as the type who drank too much coffee but was excellent at his job. This would be a fast meeting; Stokes had other places to be.

"First of all, I want to thank you for the work you both did in New York today. Technical Analyst Garcia told me about it on the phone and I also spoke to Agent Morgan and Dr. Reid while they were en route to the hangar. I gather that there were some oddities, however, and I would like you to know that NYPD aren't best pleased with another two bodies."

Hotch nodded, tight lipped again. "Unfortunately Sir, these things happen in the course of this job. The unsub was quickly devolving, it would have been hard to second guess him towards the end," he said sadly.

"Yes, Dr. Reid mentioned that on the phone. Nonetheless, Strauss, can I have a word with you a moment? In your office, perhaps? The rest of the team will wait here until we're done, I'm sure."

Strauss stood and left with Stokes, not saying a word to the BAU team, and led the way to her office. Behind her, no whispers began, but looks did flash back and forth between the members, who knew each others' expressions well enough to know exactly what they were all thinking.

"I didn't know you'd talked to Stokes. Thank you," Hotch said to Morgan and Reid, "I appreciate that."

"Yeah, Garcia connected him to us when we were driving," Reid said matter-of-factly. "Wonder what he's saying to Strauss..."

The talk continued, but it was well out of Erin Strauss' earshot as she sat in her office opposite Michael Stokes.

"Erin, what happened out there?"

"I... I believe that the last two deaths are my fault. I made mistakes, too many of them. I assumed that I could lead the team. I did it once before, albeit not when we were truly down two agents, and it seemed to half work. I had no replacement for Aaron Hotchner at the time-"

"Why did you not ask David Rossi to lead in Hotchner's stead?" Stokes asked curiously.

Strauss had no answer for that. There was simply nothing she could say- She should have put Rossi on the case, and she knew that. Her moment of realisation had come on the plane, after she heard Hotchner saying it had been a privilege to work with the BAU. He had always been their leader, each of them was used to him and the way he worked- she should have expected that they would be entirely less than satisfied to operate properly under her rules.

"I don't know Sir."

Stokes sighed heavily and surveyed her carefully. "Strauss, you do realise that any support you had from the BAU field team, you've lost it now?"

"Yes, I know that."

"I want you to rehire both Prentiss and Hotch. Clean their records Strauss, since they have both proved their worth time and time again."

"I understand Sir," she said, glad that he wasn't interrogating her about her mistakes- and happier still that he wasn't firing her.

"And Erin, please, don't make me come down here again. I have better things to do than settle the trouble you bring on yourself. That team works- and it works well. Splitting them up was a bad move and the people upstairs... well, they think I'm being too nice to you by letting you stay on here."

"I see Sir. I- I'm sorry," she said, defeated.

"I'm doing you a favour here Strauss. Your father worked here a long time ago and I did him a favour to give you a job here. I really don't want any more trouble from this department. Understood?"

"Absolutely," she said quietly, ashamedly.

And she still had to go and tell them that they had their jobs back, which was going to be even worse.

***

For their part, the team were sitting around the table, talking in hushed voices with neither assurance nor hope spreading among them. They were sure that Strauss would get her way- she wasn't the type to accept defeat easily. Hotch cleared his throat mildly when she approached the room again. He could see that Stokes had gone in the opposite direction, toward the elevator, and he wondered what she might be coming to say.

She walked into the room and sighed, tired and fairly upset- not to mention still angry. Nonetheless, she had to do what she had to do. "Stokes has asked me to reconsider. So I'm going to rehire you both," she said to Hotch and Emily. "You'll both have clean records with no insubordination charges against you. You'll both start work again tomorrow."

She turned to leave, but Hotch stood up and called her back, "Ma'am?"

She looked at him, still embarrassed but willing to listen to him.

"Those deaths, they weren't your fault. I shouldn't have said that," he noted, "I'm sorry."

She nodded at him and walked from the room. Hotch sat down in his chair again, a wave of relief rolling over him as a smile broke across his face. He looked at Emily who was already grinning widely, delighted that she was back in her job.

"I think it might be time for a group dinner," Rossi said, "I'm starving- Italian would be nice."

Laughing and joking as though nothing had changed, the team moved from the table and toward the bullpen. As Emily walked past her desk, she saw that her name plate was still on it; and she thought how weird it was that in just a few days, everything had changed so much, only to return to a semblance of normality she wasn't totally used to.

The team split up to get to the restaurant- Emily, Rossi and Morgan jumped into Morgan's jeep, while Hotch, Reid and JJ took Reid's car into the centre of town, to the place Rossi called "the best Italian in Virginia".

Dinner was a raucous affair; there were stories about Strauss to swap and past cases to talk about- inevitably the more gruesome and famous ones came up for discussion- and there was laughter as Rossi and Hotch recounted some of their earliest mistakes- and indeed, each others mistakes. There were some funny stories about Morgan's earliest cases and Gideon came up in conversation too; the team were back together and it seemed that with the director on their side, Erin Strauss would no longer be a problem.

The topic of Emily and Hotch "acting the couple" outside the unsub's house came up during dessert- something both Emily and Aaron had been dreading. They both knew that Rossi and JJ were unlikely to say anything outright, but nonetheless they felt strange because Reid, Morgan and Garcia were the only ones who were unaware of the deeper feelings involved.

They passed jokes about it, chatted and laughed about the tactical benefit of it, and overall passed it off as a story that would go down in history for the BAU as one of the best ways of catching a serial killer. Emily was happy to breathe a sigh of relief when dessert was over; it wasn't that she wanted to keep it a secret, it was more that it had only been two days- she didn't want people asking her questions and crawling all over her life for answers. They would know in time.

When dinner was finished (and paid for by a good humoured Rossi, who noted drily that he might have to write another book to make up the cost), the team departed and went their separate ways. All of them having drank at least one glass of wine, they hailed taxis and said their goodbyes. Garcia and Morgan got in the same car- they were going to go to the movies, and JJ headed home to Will. Reid was going home to his research and his books and so Rossi was the last to leave, shaking Hotch's hand and nodding happily at Emily, "It's good you two are back."

They both smiled widely at him and breathed a sigh of relief when he was gone. Romance in the BAU qualified as salacious gossip, and everybody loved a good bit of gossip every now and again. When Kevin and Garcia had started going out, there had been a lot of "oohing" and "aahing" at every available opportunity- it had mortified Garcia but eventually it had died out. It was something Emily wasn't looking forward to, when the team found out the truth about New York.

"I think I might have to go talk to Haley. She needs to know that my job is firmly still in my hands and that I won't be leaving it any time soon. I want to see my son," Aaron said softly.

"Go," she said, "Don't let me stop you. Jack is more important Aaron, go and work things out with Haley so that you can see him. You'd never forgive yourself otherwise."

"I know," he finished with a sigh. He pulled her close to him and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her cheek and then her lips, stroking her hair gently as people sped past them on the street. It was late now- he could hardly believe that just that morning he was heading to New York and now he was back- it seemed absurd that dinner had been served and he was getting ready to go home again. It had been only a few days since he spoke to Haley last, but he knew her anger would not have been assuaged in the meantime.

He was distracted out of his thoughts as Emily pulled away from him. "Go see your son," she said.

"Where are you going to go?" he asked her, pulling her hand and dragging her closer to him again.

"Home. I need to curl up on my sofa after having a long bath," she said, dreamily thinking of her warm apartment. He smiled a small smile and drily noted, "I bet my night won't be that comfortable."

She smiled sympathetically, "Aaron, she's your ex-wife. She was worried. I'm sure she'll let you see him. But if you leave it much later..."

"I know," he said, "I know. I'm going now."

He had to admit that he was reluctant to leave her. Things felt a whole lot calmer when she was around and he missed that sense of calm already. He felt as though he was wandering toward doom- Haley was not going to be happy to see him or talk to him, and he hated it when they fought in front of Jack.

He kissed Emily longingly one last time, kissed her forehead and turned away, hailing a taxi. "Goodnight," she said softly, and then he was gone.

She hailed the next taxi she saw and sat in, giving her address and talking to the driver along the way about nothing in particular. She was happy that the next day when she went to work, she would have her credentials and her gun back with her- thinking about not working had bored her intensely.

The driver dropped her off and she paid her fare before stepping inside her home. She plonked down on the couch for a few minutes, lolling her head against the edge of the chair, the lights from Washington shining through her window. The house was quiet as usual and before long she got up and headed for the bathroom, closing curtains and blinds as she went, preparing the house for the night.

***

Aaron pulled up at the door of Haley's sisters and sighed as he turned the ignition off. This was the last place he wanted to be and at the worst possible time. He still had burns and cuts on his face and arms- he would never want Jack to see him like that- but selfishness inside him made him need Jack at right that moment.

He stepped out of the car and walked the short path to the house, ignoring the twinge in his side as he knocked on the door softly. Within seconds, Haley's sister had answered, "She's on her way," she assured him. For some reason, Haley's sister had always been somewhat sympathetic to Aaron- he was never sure why; but he was always grateful that she gave his son a home.

Haley came to the door literally seconds later. "I told you, I don't want to see you."

"I don't want to fight. It's been a bad few days; I don't want to fight," he said quietly, looking right into her eyes. "I don't think I can fight, even if I wanted to," he finished, weary.

"Aaron, I made it perfectly clear. Quit your job and you can see your son."

"I was fired two days ago. And because I was off the job, two more people died. I feel responsible for them. I can't leave the job- but I won't leave my son. If I have to take this through the courts I will Haley. I swear I made it easy for you the first time. It won't be so simple the second time."

"Aaron, you have a responsibility to your son. I can't say that you're ready to take that onboard," Haley said, sighing as his shoulders slumped.

"How can I prove it to you?" he asked, knowing that her demand would be the same as always.

"Leave the BAU."

"I can't do that. It would destroy me, I would never be able to look Jack in the eye and tell him that I tried to make the world a better place for him."

Haley looked at him, straight at him, for the first time in a long while. He looked tired, upset, lost. In truth, she knew that she needed Aaron's help. She couldn't- and wouldn't- raise Jack alone. But she also knew that Aaron was inextricably linked to the BAU- his background wasn't a good one, it rubbed off on Aaron and he had always taken his responsibilities seriously- Jack and the BAU, they were the biggest parts of him.

But she was angry too. There was no way she would let him choose his job over his son, as he so often did.

"I'll think about it Aaron. But at the moment, seeing you only makes Jack unstable. He needs stability. He needs you to be there for him consistently- and you're not. I don't know if he can handle any more disappointment."

"So I can't see him?" Aaron said, resting his arm against the doorframe and laying his head on it.

"I'm sorry. Not tonight. But I'll call," she said.

Utterly dejected, Aaron turned away, but before she closed the door he looked back- "I want to do right by him Haley. That's all I want. I want my son to know that I did the very best I could and that I love him, unconditionally and without surrender. I want him to know that because-"

"Because that's the assurance that you never had when you were a kid," she said softly. He nodded, his eyes blurring over as he blinked.

"Aaron, I'll call," she assured him gently.

***

Five minutes had passed and the tears weren't letting up. He was angry, upset, confused and betrayed. Eventually he had to pull the car over and he slumped over the wheel, trying to stop his anger and his guilt from rushing out. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop.

He pulled out his wallet and opened it, looking at the picture, an exact replica of the one on his coffee table at home. He touched it gently and took it out, tossing the wallet onto the seat beside him, holding the picture up to the light in the car so that he could see it better. After a minute, he shoved the key back into the ignition and drove. He wasn't even sure where he was going.


	15. Chapter Fifteen Falling Slowly

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Criminal Minds related. Characters are merely borrowed and will be put back later. ;)**

**Please note****: This is the chapter where the story turns to an M rating. However, the M rating will otherwise not affect the story- so feel free to skip this chapter and wait for the next one if that makes you happier.**

**Fair and Foul**

**Chapter Fifteen- Falling Slowly**

"_She lov'd me for the dangers I had pass'd,  
And I lov'd her that she did pity them."_

_Othello, Act I Scene III _

_William Shakespeare_

Emily was sitting on her couch, legs curled under her with a hot cup of coffee in her hand, reading the newspaper, when there was a knock on the door. She padded across the carpet in her bare feet and peered through the peephole and then quickly answered it. "Aaron?" she said, concerned.

He slumped against the door, his face red and streaked with tears, his shoulders heavy and his shirt creased. "She wouldn't let me see him," he said, and though he was a lot calmer than he had been in the car, he looked awful and he knew it. "I'm sorry, I- I didn't know where else to come."

"Come in, I'll make you some coffee," she said quietly, reaching out to hold his hand. She pulled him through the door and headed for the kitchen while she made coffee for him. He sat on her couch and buried his head in his hands. Within a few minutes, she was next to him.

She reached out for him and stroked his knee absentmindedly, putting a coffee cup on the table near him. She had never seen him so cut up about anything before and it worried her slightly. She moved closer to him and pulled his hands from his face to hold them in her own. "Aaron, what did she say?"

He grasped her hands tightly and growled his answer, his voice torn and rusty from the emotional mountain he was trying to climb- "She said she'd call."

"Aaron, I know that she'll call. You'll see him again, Haley's not going to cut you from his life like that."

"I know, but... I needed to see him tonight, I've not seen him in... weeks. I don't want him to grow up without me," he finished, welling up again. She reached for him again and stroked his arm, still holding one of his hands in her own, but she felt useless and worthless. There was nothing she could do for him when he was in such a bad way.

She shushed him quietly and moved as close as she could to him, folding a leg under herself to reach him with more ease. Her lower leg was pressed against his thigh and she stretched an arm across his back, rubbing it gently along his spine to calm him. She was surprised to find that it worked; he relaxed and calmed down.

Aaron was trying his very best to be as up front with her as he could; but telling her about his past would come later. He wasn't going to keep it from her; but if he told her tonight, with his armour in shreds already, he wouldn't recover for days. He found himself needing Emily as he never had before. He recalled the comfort she gave him when they were in the hospital; she had simply been there, and by being there he had felt better. It sounded like such a cliché, but he couldn't help it. She understood him the way Haley never had and so he had no obstacles with her. They both had nightmares; he knew that and so did she. It was an occupational hazard of the job they did- but he knew that she would understand if and when that happened.

He found himself reaching for her and his lips, hot and swollen from where he had pressed his teeth against them in attempts to stop the sadness, met hers with a tenderness she hadn't felt before. She moved her arm farther down and rested it against his waist, bringing the other hand up to run her fingers through his hair and finally to settle on his face, her palm touching gently against the stubble by his ear.

She gently nibbled his lower lip and he felt assuaged in her response- assuaged enough to rest his hand against her neck and pull her closer to him, kissing her deeply and fixing his arm around her waist where she sat. Her back arched when he moved his lips across and along her neck, kissing and licking her gently along the way, before reaching her ear and biting her softly, massaging the back of her head with his fingers tangled in her hair. Emily was caught for breath and didn't resist when he pushed her backwards, lying her on the couch. Her legs tangled with his and breathless, she strained to kiss him again and again, passion overriding sense as her brain screamed at her that this was fast becoming serious.

He seemed oblivious to the stresses and strains of the previous days as he met her lips without a thought or hesitation. He was perfectly happy to let her continue what she had tried to do before the phone rang that morning as she pulled the buttons of his shirt apart one by one, pushing it from his shoulders as he shrugged it to the floor and leaned down to kiss her again, one hand creeping under her shirt, brushing past the bandage that had worried him so much recently and across her slightly arched back. Her skin was hot and he kissed her neck again, the flaring ivory skin inviting him to kiss her again- he couldn't stop himself once he'd started.

He carefully pulled her back up to a sitting position and looking straight into her eyes he pulled her shirt up and over her head, folding his arm around her waist as he left the shirt drop to the floor. He laid her back down and kissed her skin, her lips, her shoulders, over and over, turning on his side and fitting beside her while she turned to face him too, her hands somehow finding his hair and waist, pulling him closer and closer until finally her bare skin touched his and they stopped kissing, looking at each other through a storm of electricity.

"We don't have to-" he started, but she cut him off,

"I want to."

He pressed his lips against hers softly and moved away from her, moving from the couch and standing upright, pulling her with him. He stood with his arm around her and kissed her again, his fingers fiddling with one of the white bra straps stretched across her shoulder as her warm lips responded to him.

She couldn't keep herself away from him and in truth, unconditional desire coursed through her- she desperately wanted this to happen. It took her no time to unbutton his pants and though she remembered the waves of pleasure she felt next, it took him only seconds to kneel in front of her and peel her sweatpants from her slim legs, kissing her thighs as he pushed the pants to the floor. His hands moved from her ankles up her body, making her heart tremble as his fingers found her knees, thighs, hips and waist, finally resting on her back and neck again as he kissed her deeply once more.

When he sat down to properly remove his trousers and socks she lay on the couch and breathed in deeply- something she hadn't done on what felt like hours of happiness. Before she knew it, his hands were running up her legs, resting playfully at her hips and finally resting on her shoulders. He somehow managed to turn them so Emily rested above him, staring into his eyes, her skin flushed pink.

She rested her head on his collar bone and kissed any parts of him she could reach as his arms tied around her, delicately tracing patterns on her back and sides. When her lips fixed on his neck and her hand in his hair, he moaned to himself and his hands somehow found her bra again, carefully but quickly pulling the clasp apart and pushing the straps from her shoulders. She raised her body and within moments, the bra had joined the rest of their clothes on the floor.

The feel of her skin pressed against his when she lowered herself again was more than he had bargained for. He never wanted to let go of her and something he could later define as absolute lust woke inside him for the first time in what felt like forever. He felt her fingers tearing against the edge of his boxer shorts and he revelled in the feeling of her removing them, her cool fingers soothing somewhat the ache he felt for her.

Before he had time to fully think it through, she was pressed against him again, kissing his lips, her tongue fighting his for power, their hands roaming anywhere they could reach. Her back was arched and he could feel her pressed against his hardness- he groaned and ran his hands from her back to her hips, slipping his fingers under the elastic of her panties, pushing them down ever so slightly before he flipped her over- she smiled dazzlingly- and kissed her mouth, her chin, her neck, beginning a descent that kept her squirming and smiling for a few, blissful, minutes.

She stretched out, closed her eyes and pushed her arms out behind her head, relishing every last moment he spent with her. She whimpered slightly when his kisses landed between her breasts- and she outright gasped when his teeth and lips tenderly caught at the side of her breast before settling on her nipple. She had no way of speaking or begging, but her unwilling moan told him that she wanted him- now.

He was making her wait however, a smile telling her when she met his eyes that he was enjoying this torture. Her fingers ran themselves through his hair as he trailed his fingers and mouth across her flat stomach- she wasn't sure how much longer she could go without begging him- and finally, finally his hands found the elastic he had abandoned minutes before and he pulled her panties down her thighs and across her knees, over her feet and onto the floor.

He felt like a predator hunting his prey. She was undeniably pretty in daylight, but in the warm heat of the room and the golden glow from a nearby lamp, he was stunned speechless by her beauty. He paused to drink in as much of the image as he could, and then his hands trailed up her body once more- her smooth legs and thighs, her hips, stomach and breasts, her shoulders and finally, his hands resting in her hair, he kissed her tenderly and she wrapped her legs delicately around his waist.

She would barely be able to recall the next few minutes when she later tried. There was a moment when she realised that they fitted perfectly together, a moment when she knew that this was not a passing fancy, and many long, blissful seconds of shuddering ecstasy in her chest and head. She clawed at his shoulders and neck- each time he kissed her she kissed him harder, and the utter peace she felt when they connected was different to anything she had felt before.

Aaron, had he been able, would have completely agreed with her. His skin felt as though it were on fire, his vicious kisses were met with fraught power and a tension he never remembered experiencing before- and even when he rolled onto his back and she lay on his chest and started the cycle all over again, the connection between them felt stronger still to him. He held her close to him as she moved and rubbed against his body. When Aaron kissed her tenderly in the slow, intimate second time, he knew that she had woken him up- the world had cracked open for him again.

When she was exhausted and utterly, incandescently satisfied, Emily lay on top of his body for a long time, her hands still touching his arms, hips, face and hair, kissing him slowly every now and again. A thin sheen of sweat proved to her that he was as entirely and delightfully exhausted as she was- and his hands tenderly massaging her scalp and moving across her body from time to time proved to her that he had no intention of calling it a mistake or a convenience- something she dreaded from everyone she met- he in fact seemed calmer and more relaxed now than she had ever known him in the past few years.

Her head had been resting against his chest and she lifted her face to meet his eyes. His armour was completely gone- she could read a barrage of emotions in his eyes when he looked at her but she said nothing at all. She kissed him gently, tenderly and slowly, once, twice, three times, her hands somehow finding his in the space around them as they kissed, their fingers entwined in mid air.

She kissed his lips before moving across to his ear, where she whispered just two words, "Thank you..." She kissed his cheek once- it felt more intimate than anything else of the night- and rested her head against his collarbone again, falling quickly into a fitful sleep.

He moved her a little bit in order to pull a blanket from the couch around them both, keeping her close beside him, curled to his body and sleeping softly. He kissed her forehead and wrapped his arms around her before he slipped into sleep himself.

Dawn broke quietly outside the drawn curtains. It was going to be a sunny day- the light spilled across the Earth and lit the world out of slumber.

***

"_I did the simplest thing in the world. I leaned down and kissed him. And the world cracked open."_

_Agnes de Mille_

***


	16. Chapter Sixteen Waking Working Wanting

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Criminal Minds related. Characters are merely borrowed and will be put back later. ;)**

**Fair and Foul**

**Chapter Sixteen- Waking, Working, Wanting**

"_She is all states, and all princes I; nothing else is."_

_John Donne, The Sunne Rising_

Birds twittered and grass was illuminated into bright green as each spark of sunshine passed along the ground. The sun touched everything to wake the world from dreamy sleep and thought; each window, each crevice and crack, each doorway and each home; each life was awoken by the gentle breezing calm of light coming again. Emily and Aaron were no different. The sun pushed its rays through the window and the gaps in the curtains, the light emptying the room of darkness and replacing it with a morning glow, golden and cheerful.

He was the first to stir and stretch slightly. He had never felt quite so comfortable. His skin pushed against the blanket on his back and he felt the warm sensation of the sun's rays creeping through the gap in the curtains to touch his leg and heat it softly. He sighed and moved a little, his eyes flickering open to meet a new day. And the first thing he saw was Emily, her head serenely pressed against his shoulder, her face utterly calm and at peace. She looked so vulnerable, and yet so strong. He remembered the night before with warmth in his stomach- it hadn't been a once off.

The last thing he wanted to do was move her or wake her. If he could have, he would have lain there forever and watched her sleeping- but they both had a job to go to. He tried to move a leg and swiftly realised that he was solidly tied in with her body- he hadn't known it the night before, but if he moved, he would definitely wake her. Throwing caution to the winds, he moved his arm, wrapped it around her back and leaned down ever so slightly to kiss her really softly.

She woke up after only a moment and kissed him back, loving the feeling of his hand on her naked skin, wishing they could stay there forever. But she knew as well as he did that they were expected at the office. Her eyes felt heavy and calm, she was relaxed and quite blissfully happy. Leaving this behind would be a battle between two halves of herself.

Tenderly and carefully, she stretched, feeling a whirr of pleasure when her body touched against his. They were still levelly pressed together at the hip, his knee somehow pressed between her legs against her thigh; understandably, she didn't want to move. His eyes were fully open now, his face calm and peaceful- and though he wanted nothing more than to continue what they had started the night previously, there was something more important to work out.

"Emily... what time is it?" he asked quietly.

She inhaled and woke herself up properly, stretching above him to look beyond his head at the clock he couldn't see. "Just gone 6am. Two hours until we have to get to the office."

He smiled at her, surveying the curve of her neck as she arched it up to see the clock, pushing herself against him even more in the meantime. He was more than happy to wrap his arms around her waist and stroke her back and hips, pulling her fully onto him and finally letting one hand rest on the curve of her lower back and one against her neck. She felt safe and protected when he did it and she more than happily kissed his mouth, her tongue slowly overtaking his- an intimate moment he never thought he would share with her.

He couldn't help himself; his hand slipped lower and caressed her thigh firmly, her quiet whimper urging him to keep going. He was desperately aware that they both had to be in work and looking presentable within only two hours- and so, even though there was nothing he wanted more, he groaned and ended their kiss, opening his eyes to meet hers. There was no denying the need they both felt, but even in her desire, Emily knew that they had to get to work. Sighing sadly, she moved beside him as he turned his body sideways and sat upright on the couch. He reached down and pulled his boxers over his legs, then turned to watch her move into a sitting position, wrapping the blanket around her and resting her head against his shoulder.

"I hate to sleep and run," he remarked with a small smile.

"Mmm," she said as she moved agilely, tossing one leg over his and straddling him, pushing him back into the chair. She put her hands on either side of his head and completely took his breath away with her final kiss. He had no qualms about holding her close to him, his arms wrapped around her, hands tangled in the blanket against her skin. After a minute or so she stopped and pulled away. He released his hold on her- though he didn't want to- and she smiled at him. "I'll see you soon," she whispered, her wide smile illuminated by the sunshine.

She pulled herself off of him and walked to the kitchen to make breakfast and then half giggled when he appeared behind her seconds later with his shirt and pants on and kissed her neck- "Bye," he said softly, a wide smile lighting up his face as he turned away from her and headed for the door.

When he was gone, she walked with her cup of tea back to the window, where she pulled open the curtains, and then she flopped onto the couch, a smile exploding across her features. Happiness got the better of her; she just couldn't hide her delight. After about five minutes of listening to the birds singing- something she usually got very irritated by after about 3 seconds, but it was pretty outside so she'd hung around this morning to look out for longer- she headed for the bathroom, to shower and get ready for work.

***

When she pulled up to the FBI and into her parking space, JJ was just arriving too and the women met outside their cars, sunglasses on and ready for a new day.

"JJ, you look exhausted. Henry?" Emily said sympathetically.

"We were up all night. Will's staying home with him today. He's trying to find out about a police job in Virginia, but he's taking a time out- Henry's colicky for the past few days," she said tiredly. Emily knew that however much JJ loved Henry and Will, she, like the rest of the team, wouldn't take a day off if she could help it. Personal days were a valid way of getting away from the strains of the job. The team understandably preferred to use them only in the worst of circumstances.

They walked on, the sun beating mercilessly down on them. "It's so beautiful out," JJ commented, "I've not seen it this nice in a long while."

"Me neither," Emily said quietly. They were the only two in the parking lot and before long, JJ had focused in on Emily properly. "You seem happy today. Anything to share?" she said, smiling. Emily looked at her and lowered her sunglasses, trying to betray the hint of a smile around her lips- "No, why?" she said calmly.

JJ shrugged. "Sure, sure."

Within a few minutes, they were inside the building and adding Splenda to two coffee mugs before getting started on the hefty amount of paperwork they had to complete after the last case- not to mention the report they had all gotten emails about- the Director wanted full and authentic reports from each member of the team as to how they operated and why they did things the way they did on the last case. Emily knew that it would take quite a while to properly recount the entire events of a day, and she wasn't looking forward to it.

The biggest shock in an otherwise boring day came when Hotch arrived after every other member of the team- except for Rossi, who liked to try Strauss' patience by being fashionably late every few days. Hotch breezed into the BAU and smiled at everyone- something he never did- before installing himself in his office and getting to work on his- significantly large- portion of paperwork.

Within an hour and a half, they were all back to their old team dynamic. Reid was throwing facts around, Emily and Morgan were discussing weird films and JJ was on the phone to Will, enquiring about Henry. Rossi was sitting with the team in the bullpen- something he liked to do when he needed motivation to work. He was sitting by Emily's desk, his work haphazardly spread next to hers, watching the teams antics.

He had managed, in his time being back at the BAU, to get close to each member of the team. He loved to listen to them conjecturing and thinking through things that he had been trying to work out for years- they always came to the same answers as he did, and he liked to think that they were all thinking on the same level; it made them fit together perfectly. He had gotten particularly used to Emily- she watched out for the other members of the team, especially Reid, and she was very close to Morgan through their similar interests.

He had to say that of all the people he could see her spending time with, Hotch wasn't one of them. Having said that, he had never thought Hotch would marry at all, and yet he had been a guest at Hotch and Haley's wedding- and had been surprised by the tenderness and love Hotch had shown on that day. His professional and private lives were very separate. Rossi couldn't help thinking that now they would collide and things would shift for Hotch and make him see the world and his job in a different way.

When lunchtime came, Emily had spent so long procrastinating that she couldn't take an hour off. She and Morgan stayed at the BAU with Hotch while Rossi and Reid went for lunch and JJ went home for a while. She worked though her paperwork as well as she could- she was way behind in what she needed to do, two cases worth of filing that she hadn't worked out yet- and she sighed happily when Reid brought her back a roll and a takeaway latte. "Thanks!" she said, hunger getting the better of her as she took a short break.

All in all, if pushed, when the day came to an end, she would take some paperwork home with her and finish it there. It wouldn't be the first time. It was about 3pm when Hotch stepped out of his office and went to make coffee. He felt as though he lived on coffee, but he drank so much of it that it had no effect on him- just like every other member of the BAU.

As he walked past the bullpen he stopped to talk to his team. He had to admit that he was happy to be back, happy to be there with them and absolutely ecstatic that Strauss hadn't come sniffing around all day. "JJ called to say there were a few cases she's looking into. We might be going somewhere as early as Thursday. Since it is Tuesday now, getting the end of the last round of paperwork done wouldn't be a bad idea," he hinted at them, noticing with a curl of his eyebrow that Emily's in tray was much fuller than her out tray, and that Reid- for once- was the exact same.

Morgan arrived back from the cafeteria with two cups of coffee, "I saw you coming out of your office. Take a break man, you're only back a day and you look stressed already."

Hotch accepted the coffee gladly and sat near Morgan's desk, leaning over to talk to the team quietly. "I take it you all got requests to file a report?" he said, and they all nodded. "Anybody know why?" he enquired.

"I thought maybe it was just an incident thing... but normally they don't get everyone to spend valuable time working on incident reports," Morgan said.

"Maybe they're investigating Strauss," Reid said half hopefully.

"That's what I thought. But Strauss isn't in the office. I was supposed to turn a report in to her this morning," Rossi noted, "But she's not been there all day." That explained why she hadn't been sniffing around the office, Hotch realised.

"Maybe they suspended her?" Emily thought out loud. "It's not as though she would have told us if she'd been dressed down yesterday."

Hotch nodded, unsure of what to expect in the near future. If Strauss was gone, who would replace her? He felt sure that he would have been informed if she was no longer in her job- being her immediate inferior, he would need to be aware of any changes going on just above him- but he had heard nothing. If she was simply being investigated, he guessed that she would be back the following day, quite determined to have them all doing their jobs perfectly so that she could prove herself an adequate section chief. He sighed and looked across at his team, "I don't know. But whatever it is, it doesn't sound good," he said.

After that small amount of gossip, they all turned back to their work and there was silence for a while as they trundled through creepy photographs, wrote up detailed reports of their days and gathered files, passing them back and forth between desks and trays, everyone trying to get the largest chunk of work done before they went home for the evening.

It was still bright when Emily started tidying her desk. She hadn't had time all day to think about the night previous, and she hadn't any intention of letting that fill her head when her temple was throbbing and she was tired of looking at crime scene photos of the worst kind. Tidying was something she did when she needed a break but didn't want to feel lazy. So she packed her laptop and some files into her bag, threw her keys and phone in there and finally tossed three paper cups into the bin- one of them was clearly Reid's with his doodles on it, though she had no idea how it had gotten there- and she stood up with a sigh to get one more cup of coffee before she could leave.

Morgan yelled goodnight to her as he passed into the elevator- for once, he had finished work before her and he was delighted about it. She had one more file to write up before she left for the night and she was solidly determined to get it done. Because she had been absent for a bit longer than the rest of the team had- what with the hospital and the other hospital and the being released from her job and ending up in New York, she had more to do than any of the rest of them- except for Hotch, who was robotic about the paperwork anyway and always had it done on time.

With a sigh, she returned to her seat and plopped into it as Reid left the room, phone clenched between his teeth as he tried to find his car keys in his bag. He waved at her and then he was gone. She turned back to her work.

Hotch was sitting in his office looking out at her, watching the other members of the team leaving and the floor of the BAU slowly getting quieter and quieter. He knew that she had more work to do before she could leave- and that wasn't strictly her fault, but she would be there for at least another two hours and she knew it. She was fidgety and restless, tired of pages and photographs and pens and typing. Even as he watched her write a few lines, he knew her heart wasn't in it, and sure enough just a few minutes later, her eyes focused elsewhere and she put the pen down.

He stepped to the door of the office. "Prentiss, a word?"

She got up from her desk and prepared to explain why she was, and had been, so far behind for the entire day. She walked to his office and noticed that Strauss' room down the hall was indeed perfectly empty and silent, the light off and the blinds closed.

She stepped into his office and closed the door behind her. "Look, I know that I've fallen behind. It's just that-"

His lips were pressed against hers before she could finish the sentence, his arms around her and his hand at her hip. She thought about pulling away to go back to work but decided against it. Closing her eyes, she gave in and kissed him back.

She loved kissing him. It amazed her that all the passion he never showed came through in such a warm way when he wanted it to, and she was glad of the break from work and the quietness of his office. He pushed her backward against his desk and leaned against her, fitting his knee between her legs and running his fingers through her hair. She totally submitted to him, letting him do whatever he wanted; hell, she would have encouraged him had she been able to talk. He kissed and softly bit her ear and along her jaw, held her waist with both hands and kissed her neck. She was caught in a moment of recklessness and she loved it.

And it was right then that Garcia walked past the office and saw them.


	17. Chapter Seventeen Strauss?

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Criminal Minds related. Characters are merely borrowed and will be put back later. ;)**

**Fair and Foul**

**Chapter Seventeen- Strauss?**

_The shaft of the arrow had been feathered with one of the eagle's own plumes. We often give our enemies the means of our own destruction._

_Aesop_

"Jenkies," said Garcia quietly, transfixed by what she saw before her. She knew, of course, about what had happened in New York- but she had thought it was a once off. They had done it to catch an unsub, and neither had seemed particularly bothered by it. The team had mentioned it in passing but made little of it broadly speaking- and yet there they were, standing less than ten feet from her, entirely caught up in one another, locked together in a sort of romantic bubble. She sighed happily, caught up in the moment. She had always thought that they'd be good together, and she was right!

She was caught off guard though, when Emily, smiling, turned her head to the side while Hotch kissed her ear, and opened her eyes, immediately seeing Penelope Garcia looking back at her with a smile on her face a mile wide. She groaned mildly and grabbed Hotch's arm a little heavily, which he took as a time to stop what he was doing and tune in to his surroundings. He turned to see Garcia, who blushed and quickly moved on. She had been heading home and she intended to get there as soon as she could.

Emily knew there was no point in going after her; by tomorrow, the entire team would know. She and Aaron had both wanted this to happen and they'd both said so. But with the entire team in on the secret it was bound to get awkward, maybe even downright strange at times. Sighing, she sat against the desk and looked at him as he pulled his jacket off and sat next to her.

"So what do we do?" he asked her.

"Nothing. If Garcia knows, and if I know Garcia, the entire team will know in about twenty minutes."

"Oh," he said mildly. She turned to look at him.

"I don't want any awkwardness, that's what I'm worried about..." she said, facing her concerns.

"Emily... from the smile on Garcia's face, I don't think she's worried or upset, do you?" he cajoled.

"No, maybe not," she agreed, "but nonetheless. I don't want catcalling and mocking... it's embarrassing..." she contended.

"I know. We'll have to face what comes, but if we're private enough, there's no reason why we can't make it work," he said reasonably, and she agreed with him despite the nerves in her stomach.

"Yeah," she said softly, still not reassured. Just as she stood to go, he caught her hand and pulled her back towards him until she was standing right in front of him. He pushed himself to his feet and grabbed her other hand. "Emily. Stop worrying about it," he said. She smiled at his commanding tone. "Sure," she said, "Sure."

She left his office with a small smile on her face and returned to her desk to write up her report. After half an hour, she was more than happy to leave what she had done and to tackle it again tomorrow morning. She got up to leave, pushed the half finished work into her bag in case she got motivated at home in front of the television and grabbed her jacket from the chair.

She could hear a funny buzzing noise which she knew was her phone- but she had no idea where she had put it for a few minutes. She stood at her desk looking bemused for about a minute until she remembered, and then she dived for her bag. The phone rang out just as she got there.

"Damn," she said, taking it out. There were four missed calls and three messages- the team, either calling or texting to ask her if Garcia was crazy or not. JJ's message was the most understanding- _If you need me, call._ Emily sighed and walked back to Aaron's office where she showed him her phone. He shrugged and noted that at least they weren't making jokes- and she had to admit that they had opted for the lesser of two evils.

"I'm going to go home," she said, ignoring the incoming call from Garcia, "I want to get this report done and my concentration's ruined."

"Okay. Call me if anything goes wrong, I have a load to do here too and the house is too empty to do it there," he said. She nodded and took one of the files out of her bag. "I finished this earlier. You'll need it to finish the Stone file," she said, dropping it on his desk.

"Emily," he said, not thinking about the file, "Stop worrying about it. We'll deal with whatever comes, okay?"

"Yeah, I know," she said, a smile stretching across her face. "I know."

He walked around his desk to meet her and kissed her firmly, "We'll tell them tomorrow what happened. Ish." He said, and she laughed. "Ish? You think Garcia will like "ish"?" she chuckled. He shrugged and kissed her again. He would happily do it all day if he could, but they both had work to do and getting distracted again wouldn't help. "Goodnight," he said as she pulled away. She squeezed his hand, "Goodnight", left go and was gone. She got the next elevator down and Hotch was left alone to think about what he would say to the team tomorrow.

***

Emily arrived home and opened the door with a sigh, tossing her keys on the nearest table and ignoring the flashing light on her answering machine that meant she had messages- doubtless from the team, wanting to hear the scandal in its entirety. She went to the bathroom, took her laptop out of her bag and set her files on the table. And after a few minutes of stoutly trying to ignore the messages, she knew she couldn't any longer. She wandered over and heard Garcia's first.

"Jenkies. I mean. Wow. Hotch? Really? Please call, I want to know everything!"

She smiled briefly and shook her head, muttering under her breath, "No way Penelope, you can wait until tomorrow."

The second message was from her mother, wondering why Emily hadn't called her in so long. Emily hadn't the heart to call her back; doubtless she had heard about the problems the BAU had been having- since she heard about everything anyway- and she simply wanted to hear the story. Emily wasn't prepared to give it to her at right that moment, so she passed the message on. The last message was from an unknown number- she assumed it was a missed call because all she heard on the phone was breathing and then a dial tone as the caller hung up. She ignored it and went back to her work for an hour or so before she went to bed. The doctors had told her she would be quite tired when she returned to work and she now believed them; the day had totally taken it out of her. She was more than happy to fall into her own bed for the first time in what felt like years.

***

Hotch had waited as long as he could. He had to sleep properly at some stage and it seemed obvious that tonight was not the night Haley would choose to call. He turned the answering machine on in case she called during the night, as she sometimes did when Jack was upset, and headed to bed. He missed the call that came through- but the machine received the message, short though it was. He would assume- when he heard it- that it was a wrong number; one person breathing down a phone meant nothing at all.

***

When she arrived to work the next morning, Emily felt relaxed and calm. She was relatively up to date with what she had to do and she knew that today wouldn't be half as bad as the previous day had been. Other than the fact that she had to admit to the world that she and Aaron were... well, involved.

Taking a deep breath, she headed into the BAU and prepared herself for a barrage of questions that were going to come her way. Sure enough, as soon as she walked through the door, Garcia, who Emily felt should probably have been in her office, practically ran towards her and led her to her seat. She was forced into sitting down and faced each member of the team as they looked at her. Emily couldn't help it; a smile broke out across her face and she shook her head. "No way," she said, "No way are you all this interested in my private life." She smiled at them again, trying her best not to laugh at their annoying penchant for gossip mongering. "Unbelievable," she said, trying to dress them down but failing miserably. They were all looking at her expectantly and she found that she didn't particularly mind; at the end of the day, these were the people she shared bad experiences with; sharing good ones couldn't be as unpleasant as she might previously have thought.

But the questions were undeniably intrusive. "Tell us everything. When did you know that you had a thing for him? How did it eventually happen? We need to know it all!" Garcia trilled. Emily just looked at her and found herself unsure of what to say. She was saved by the bell though, when Hotch walked in looking much aggrieved. "Is Dave here?" he said to the team as he stalked by, ignoring their smiles and questioning glances. But when he asked again, "Is Dave here?" they all shook their heads; they had assumed that Rossi was simply having a late day. JJ hadn't arrived yet either, which Emily put down to the fact that Henry might have been acting up the night before and maybe JJ was running late.

But at right that moment, the woman herself walked in and stood right beside Hotch. "You won't believe this. I got a fax to my office line last night- a picture. I think it's..."

"Strauss." Hotch said, his face twisting into dissatisfaction.

"Yeah..." JJ said, then looked at him sideways. "How did you know?"

"Dave got a call last night. From a man who said that Erin Strauss would die unless we complied with his demands and released all of the files the BAU has worked on over the past 10 years. He also demanded 2 million dollars and told Dave to await further instructions. He said that he knew where all of the team were and that he had warned them all."

"What... warning? I got nothing," Morgan said, eyes suddenly focused on Hotch instead of Emily and looking concerned.

"I did- maybe..." Emily said suddenly. "A message with someone breathing on the other end. I thought it was nothing, but maybe-"

"That's exactly what I got my answering machine this morning," Hotch said nodding in agreement. "It's the only warning he could have meant, since we got nothing else. Anyone miss a call or get an odd message last night?"

"I got the breather too," Garcia said, "I just thought it was Kevin messing."

"I got a call last night," Reid said, "but nobody was breathing, it was just totally silent. I thought maybe it was a recording message or something, from some advertising company- I didn't say anything. I just hung up."

"So we all got something," Morgan said, "Because I got a silent call too, like Reid's. I don't get it. Why be silent with some and breathing on others? Why give Rossi the message? And where did JJ get the picture from? Is there a valid number?"

"No, the number is totally unrecognisable; I don't think it's a US number at all. Is it possible to re-route through different fax servers Garcia?" JJ asked.

"Sure," Garcia said, "it's the same as a phone if you do it right."

"So Strauss has been kidnapped," Hotch said, "Which means we have to find her. There's no way he'll get the files; the money's irrelevant compared to those. We need to get to work on this fast."

All thoughts of Emily and Hotch's relationship were set aside; Strauss was part of the FBI and she evidently needed them. They all got to work, trying to work out where the fax was from, looking at the pictures and beginning their profiling of the kidnapper. Dave arrived about ten minutes later with instructions to Garcia that she had to listen to the call he had received with the rest of the team, make it as clear and interference free as possible and give them some clue, any clue at all, as to where it had come from. It was the only call long enough to ascertain any kind of trace from, so they all hoped that she could.

Emily had a hunch and halfway through a conversation with Derek about possible motives for wanting the files, she ran something by him. He agreed with her and they both went to Hotch's office, knocking briefly before stepping inside.

"You busy?" Emily asked as he put down the phone. "No, what's the matter?" he said softly before looking up and seeing that Morgan was with her. Instantly he became, slightly, more professional- something Morgan noticed but didn't comment on.

"We were thinking," Emily said, "That this is a bit strange. You kidnap a woman who works as the section chief above the BAU? And then you ask for 2 million dollars as well as a load of files from the last ten years- specifically ten years?"

"Go on," Hotch said, watching her.

"Well it seems a bit disorganised. There was no real pattern to the calls, almost as though he didn't think it through. He gave info to Rossi and JJ but ignored you, and you're the head of this team. He made no references to any of us and silent calls aren't exactly the methodology of a guy who plans," Morgan said.

"That all makes sense, what's the point?" Hotch rushed them.

"We don't think it's a once off. He might be a serial with a thing for middle aged women- and he just happened to strike it lucky with Strauss. What if he found her ID and credentials and decided that he wanted money- something we normally don't get requests for- and he asked for the files of the past ten years. What happened ten years ago to make him pick that as a cut off point?"

"Good point," Hotch said, "What if he has some relationship with someone we once took down?"

"Exactly," Emily said. "We need to look back through the files and maybe make a profile of a serial offender. The picture shows some experience in the entire area; we're all willing to agree that this isn't his first time throwing a party."

"Go for it," Hotch said, "Search everything you can. We need to find her and fast, he was pretty explicit. I may not like her, but nobody deserves this."

Emily and Morgan nodded and left quickly, determined to get their work done as fast as possible. Strauss wasn't exactly the strongest of characters; they were conscious that she might not have much longer left.

It was going to be a hell of a day.


	18. Chapter Eighteen Closer and Closer

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Criminal Minds related. Characters are merely borrowed and will be put back later. ;)**

**Fair and Foul**

**Chapter Eighteen- Closer and Closer**

"_If we are not our __brother__'s keeper, at least let us not be his executioner"_

_Marlon Brando_

Emily had been pulling files for what felt like hours. She felt as though she was getting nowhere quickly, and even as she and Morgan drew file after file, looking for anything similar, she came to realise that this wasn't fast enough. She brought some boxes back to the bullpen with her and along with Morgan and JJ, they went through literally hundreds of files, noting in just a few lines what each was basically about for everyone to refer to later on.

Hotch joined them after a while; there was nothing to do truly but wait for the next call with directions. And they desperately needed direction. They had already begun the profile and while they searched for more information, they began to add to it gradually.

"So we can say this guy is disorganised. He didn't plan. He didn't want to, this seems spur of the moment," Reid recapped.

"Yes. The calls were all over the place and didn't make a whole lot of sense. As warnings go, they were terrible," JJ added.

"Have you all heard the call?"Hotch asked. They all nodded yes.

"Garcia played it for us about a half hour ago," Morgan said and then continued, "What I don't understand still, is why call Rossi and not Hotch? It's open information that Hotch is the team leader."

"It's strange," Emily said slowly, "but it's almost as though this guy prefers to think of Rossi as the leader. When exactly did you retire?" she addressed him.

"Well, it's 2009 now. I've been back for two years, almost. And I retired about ten years before that. So I retired in 1997. Two years before any of the ten year files make sense," Rossi answered.

"Anything you consulted on? Anything you wrote about in that ten year space?" Hotch pressed.

"I've written about a lot of cases Hotch, I don't remember them. Reid might."

And sure enough, Reid was on his feet quickly, walking to Rossi's office and returning with copies of all of his books just moments later.

"Okay. In your time being retired, you consulted on fourteen cases and wrote about a further ten that interested you but that you otherwise had no involvement in. So that cuts it down to 24 overall," he said.

"Okay. Can you two go through them with a fine tooth comb? Find out anything we might have missed; family members, friends who were part of the investigation, people who were unwilling to believe that one of those unsubs did wrong. It must be someone who was close enough to this kidnapper that he somehow became involved in the investigation," Hotch said.

Reid and Rossi began to talk it through, plotting courses and thoughts on a notice board. Emily and Morgan, with Hotch, had so far found over 15 files relating to middle aged kidnappings, and there were more. Once they had finished with the pile they had, Garcia brought them more and once they were finished, and it was lunchtime, they had in total, 40 files.

"My God. Forty people killed in the ten year period he mentioned, all of them middle aged women?" Emily said.

"Is there any way we can go back just two more years? See if he had a pattern in that time? Or whether he simply began this following some major stressor?" Morgan said, noting privately that it was frustrating that none of these older files were on Garcia's system because they had never been noted for sure as the work of a serial offender. These files were from all across the United States and none of them had anything to do with any other. There was nothing to connect them save the fact that the women were between 40 and 55, and that they had all been suffocated to death. Not the most unique MO.

Hotch told Morgan to go check the two years before what they already had, and Morgan returned after lunch was finished with his assurances that there was nothing.

"What if he's just copying the unsub we think he might be connected to? Or at least, trying to? Rossi, were there any particularly bad kidnap murders in what you discussed in the books or that you consulted over?" Emily asked.

"There were three," Rossi replied, pulling the files out of the boxes Reid had gotten from storage and laying them on the table. "They might be worth having a closer look at I suppose."

Emily nodded as Hotch reached for the files. Just as he sat with Emily at her desk, Rossi's phone rang in his office. They all looked at it for a second before there was a mass of movement. Garcia emerged from her office at right that moment. "A trace is set up, so you can answer!" she called. They all crowded into Rossi's office and he calmly picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

At first the person on the other end said nothing, and then "Rossi?" came the tired, cracked, confused voice of Erin Strauss.

"Strauss! Are you alright? Are you hurt?" Rossi said, but the kidnapper understood enough to pull her away and take control of the call himself.

"She's alive and well so far. I need my money and the files. It's 5pm now. I'll give you 8 hours to get everything ready for me. You will make the delivery, alone, tonight at 2am. I will call at 1am and you will start to drive," he said, his voice shaking slightly. "Once you are away from the FBI I will give further instructions to you and you alone. If it's all there when I check, then Erin Strauss will be freed. Maybe a little damaged, but free and alive," he half chuckled.

Rossi said nothing.

"Are you still there?" the unsub said, and Rossi nodded his head but remained silent.

"Are you still there?!" the unsub said, angry and aggrieved.

"Goodbye," Rossi said, and he hung up.

"He wasn't very specific about the money," Emily noted. "If it were me, I would want unmarked bills from different packets. It's not about the money for him; those are tricks you get from films, not experience. He doesn't care about the money at all. It's all about those files, so the person we want must have a relationship with someone in one of those files."

Hotch nodded his agreement. "He sounded edgy and he was seeking reassurance- almost as though he was unsure of what he was doing or saying. He addressed Dave as "you", which is a personal thing. Most kidnappers rely on third person terminology to make a ransom call," he noted.

"It's all about Rossi," Reid said, "Rossi and the files. It must be quite obvious but we're missing it. Someone related to or close to one of the unsubs. Rossi was important in bringing down that unsub... It seems almost as though he wants to be involved again."

"Is it possible that he might have been deliberately withholding anything or that he withdrew from the investigation at some stage?" Hotch said to Rossi.

"That's relatively common, Hotch. Two of the three cases we've narrowed it down to have relatives or close friends who stopped cooperating," Rossi stated.

"Anything. Anything at all? Maybe we could take a look back through them again," Emily suggested. Rossi nodded and they went back to the table where the last few files were laid out, determined to find the right one before it was too late. Emily found herself thinking that if this were a normal day, most of the team would be gone home already.

The night wore on and the office got darker and danker. There was a sense of hopelessness ambling through the office. Garcia had crosschecked the files Rossi had indicated with the files from the kidnappings Emily Hotch and Morgan had got together- but there was nothing similar that linked any single file with any other, and they were all beginning to despair- they all knew that they were missing only one thing. Finding it was proving to be a total nightmare.

Reid burst through from Rossi's office, holding a book aloft. "I forgot this one! Ten years ago in North Carolina, there was a spate of kidnap murders that Rossi was asked to consult on. He got very involved in the case and wrote about it in this book- which is less of a bestseller and more of a textbook analysis."

Rossi was nodding now. "That's an educational book as opposed to what I prefer to write. There aren't that many copies of it around now, it's been updated countless times by other people. I know the guy you're talking about though. His name was James Arwick."

"Exactly," Reid declared. "Arwick had a step brother named Jackson, and Jackson was, at the time, 15 years old and part of a number of violent groups. When he was questioned about the murders which seemed relatively gang related, he noticed that some of the evidence that had been collected led right back to his brother. Though he said nothing, you worked it out," Reid finished.

"That's right. And just under two years later, James Arwick was issued with a capital sentence. He died about five years ago." Rossi said quietly.

"So if it's Jackson, can we tie him to any of the murders we looked for to make a profile? Can we get a last known address and a warrant?" Morgan asked.

"Jackson Arwick fell off the grid about two months ago," Garcia called from a desk nearby as she frantically tapped keys. "He never made it to college and has numerous- really numerous- convictions for rape, attempted sexual assault, battery, aggravated battery, and attempted kidnapping."

"All of those are exactly what we'd be looking for if we were making a profile," Hotch said, "But we have no way to catch him if he has no registered address."

"Hold the phone." Penelope said softly. "Wowza. It says here that a Mr Jackson Arwick was asleep in his parents' house on the night his mother died, two months ago, less than a year after his natural father passed away."

"I remember that Jackson didn't like his stepmother- and neither did his brother, who called her the devil and said the women he kidnapped, he did it because of her. I assumed it was an abusive household, but if the house is gone and we have all this information, where would he have disappeared off to?" he asked, half to himself.

"You know him better than anyone else here. Think it through again. And Garcia, pull the files on James Arwick and anything you can find to do with that family. We need to know where he's going to sleep at night and we need any connections he might have to any businesses, factories, warehouses- anywhere he could set up shop to kill," Hotch said.

The office moved in flow again as the team got back to work, now with an established lead and someone to follow. They located different people, different areas, businesses he had been involved with- and along the way, they made calls apologising people for waking them up, asking if any of them had seen Jackson Arwick recently.

On her sixth call, Emily made a breakthrough. She covered the mouthpiece and put her hand on Hotch's thigh as he leant at her desk. It caught his attention and he turned to her. "This woman says that Arwick lived with her until two days ago, when he bailed out after seeing a news report about Rossi. He got freaked out and angry, let and hasn't come back for any of his stuff since."

Hotch nodded and called Rossi, explaining it all to him. When Emily was finished on the phone she had some good information. "Her name was Noelle Hardy. She says that when he was upset, or angry, he used to go to an allotment near the house. He rents a room there. It's less than 50 miles from here- that might be where he's keeping Strauss."

The transformation was set. The team moved quickly and quietly, leaving Rossi and JJ behind so that they could definitely be there when the unsub called with directions. They filed out of the BAU and into cars, driving quickly but without sirens to where they needed to be.

Emily was in an SUV with Hotch while Morgan took Reid and followed a different route. Whoever got there first would move first and backup would arrive from the other two within minutes.

Emily called directions from her seat and Hotch drove manically, knowing that they were fast running out of time. The BAU didn't have the funds and wouldn't hand over the files. They had literally minutes to catch him before he called Rossi- by the time he called, he would already be on the road to an obscure meeting point, the location of which he would only reveal to Rossi when he was already on the road alone.

Hotch pulled up by the allotment they needed first. He and Emily jumped from the car, flak jackets tied and guns out. They walked slowly and quietly forward, not wanting to alarm him, and not wanting to make any noise.

Morgan and Reid pulled in just a few seconds behind them; late night traffic was very light. They emerged from their car and moved to surround the building on the small patch of land. There was a light in the window and Hotch nodded at Morgan, who called, "Jackson Arwick! FBI! Come out with your hands in the air!"

There was a shuffled movement inside and a yell of panic, "Come any closer, and I'll kill her I swear I will!"

Morgan continued to yell for him to come out, which allowed Emily and Hotch to move closer to the door as Reid kept his gun trained on the window. Emily crept up the steps first, waiting for Morgan to yell before she ever moved forward, silently, stealthily moving to the door.

Then it all happened at once. She burst open the door and stepped inside, gun trained on the man who stood opposite her. Hotch came inside and looked around properly. Emily kept her gun trained on the kidnapper while Morgan came in and tackled him, pulling his cuffs out and keeping him on the floor.

Aaron lowered his gun and looked around, searching the shadows for Erin Strauss. He reached above him and pulled a string that made a small electric light flick on. In the blazing light of a new bulb, he saw her and moved toward her, telling her that she was going to be alright.

She was whimpering on the ground and he knelt in front of her, releasing the gag from her mouth and carefully undoing the knot that tied her ankles together before helping her to her feet. He wrapped an arm around her and walked her slowly outside and away from the unsub, who was screaming for Rossi, ranting and raving, wanting to know where Dave was.

In just a few minutes, it was over. Reid and Morgan stayed to wait for the local PD and Strauss insisted that there would be no ambulance or panic. Hotch agreed and with Emily, helped Strauss into the back seat of the car. He drove calmly to the hospital while Emily sat with Strauss in the backseat, holding her hand and reassuring her.

After they got to the hospital and she had been admitted, they waited until she fell asleep and finally headed back to the BAU to notify as many people as they could of what had happened. With sighs, they got back into the SUV tiredly, weary from what seemed like days of endless cases. They knew that the unsub would be interviewed by Rossi the following morning, and that Rossi would learn everything about every one of his crimes.

A whole lot more paperwork. Resting her head in her hands on the way back to the BAU, tiredness overtook Emily and her eyelids drooped. She woke up slightly when Aaron reached over from the passenger seat to gently squeeze her knee. "You alright?" he asked her, concerned.

"I'm fine," she assured him, "Just tired. Seems that we've gotten three cases in a run and they've been three of our most stressful."

"I know," he said, "Do you want me to bring you home?"

"No, I have stuff to do back at work before I leave. It's what I signed up for," she said smiling slightly.

He laughed mildly and agreed; thinking of the paperwork on his desk and his worries about Haley and Jack. There was so much more to this job than catching the bad guys. Emily saw the sad look on his face as he drove and she knew exactly what he was thinking about.

Not for the first time, she considered that Haley was likely mental for walking out; did she not realise that she and Jack were all he thought about?

Sighing, she focused on the road as they covered the last few miles. She noted, with an internal grin, that her stomach didn't hurt so much anymore. She was on the mend- finally.

When he stopped the car he leaned over and kissed her cheek softly, and then kissed her lips. He sighed as he rested his forehead against hers, holding her hands in his and smiling slightly. "We have work to do..." she moaned unhappily.

"I know," he said, "I know."


	19. Chapter Nineteen Starlight

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Criminal Minds related. Characters are merely borrowed and will be put back later. ;)**

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews guys. :) For bearing with me, you lot get another M chapter. :D Enjoy!**

**Fair and Foul**

**Chapter Nineteen- Starlight**

_"You may conquer with the sword, but you are conquered by a kiss."_

_Daniel Heinsius_

IT was almost 2am by the time she was finished the work she had had to do. She was exhausted and felt mildly ill from the close call they had had. She was thankful that Strauss had not suffered more- but she knew in her heart that Erin Strauss would never be the same again. Such an experience was hard to handle and defined the rest of a lifetime. Strauss would be no different.

When Hotch emerged from his office at about ten past two, she was sitting at her desk, laptop abandoned beside her, fiddling with a pen as her eyes refocused elsewhere. The rest of the team had gone for coffee, and Rossi was already headed to the police station where he intended to grill their unsub all night if he had to. Hotch admired his grit and determination- and he admired Reid for having enough interest to go with him. Morgan had taken JJ and Garcia out for an hour before they all finished work and headed home. They all needed some relaxing time and the cafe at the corner that stayed open all night was the perfect place to go. Hotch certainly wasn't going to stop them.

He wandered to her and stood behind her, leaning over to rest his hand against her desk. "Emily?" he said, "Are you okay?"

"Hmm?" she said tiredly, and then turned to face him, "Oh, I'm fine, sorry. Just thinking about things."

"Things?"

"Yeah, like Strauss... She'll never be the same."

"No, no she won't," said Hotch sadly, "But at least she's alive. She won't appreciate being told that, but it's true. This could have ended much worse than it did."

"I know," Emily muttered, "But still."

"Why didn't you go for coffee?" he asked her, curious as to why she hadn't taken time out of the office.

"Didn't feel like it, I suppose. Why didn't you?" she asked in return.

"Didn't feel like it, I suppose," he echoed quietly.

She smiled a little and couldn't help that feeling of desire that crept over her. All she wanted at that exact moment was a kiss, something to reassure her and pull her out of her dark thoughts. But it was the middle of the bullpen and she was well aware that if anyone saw...

But still, he was leaning over her more and more with each passing second. And before she knew it, she was getting exactly what she had wanted all along. His lips closed over hers- and though it began softly, within seconds it was harder, more longing and deeper than she had expected. She was instantly caught up in the moment and stopped thinking about everything except him.

She managed to smoothly rise to her feet- though she didn't know she was doing it. She flexed her arms around his back and shoulders while he pulled her closer to him and kissed her again and again. He turned her slightly and wrapped his arms around her waist. She leaned against him and he leaned against her desk, holding her as tight as he could and calmly stroking her back. She felt his hands wander- for a second he held her neck and deepened their kiss and then his fingers were in her hair, and she totally forgot where she was in favour of thinking, in her head, that she would never have guessed he could be so outwardly passionate.

She snapped back to reality when the shout of "Woah!" came to her ears. Blushing furiously, she turned her head away from the door and rested her face in Hotch's neck. "Crap," she whispered, and planned on letting go.

But he wouldn't let her. He moved his hands to her waist and kept them there, as he looked straight at Morgan with a tiny smile on his face.

"Yes?" he said calmly. Emily couldn't help but smile into his shoulder and with her arms around him, where the team couldn't see, she tightened her grip on his shirt and half moaned when she realised: this was going to be embarrassing.

"I- I-" Morgan started, but he couldn't really go on. JJ stood beside him and tried not to smile. She had her lips pursed together but it made no difference; her grin was hard to hide. And Garcia had no qualms about smiling widely, practically jumping up and down and preparing herself for the dirty questions she wanted to ask. She wanted to know everything- and Hotch was well aware that if she got Emily on her own, Emily would happily tell her anything to save embarrassment.

"Emily...." Garcia began, and Emily slowly turned her face to meet their eyes. She was still blushing and tried her best not to smile- but she couldn't help it; this was a tiny moment of celebration for the team, after what had been a genuinely awful day full of worry. Happy memories were hard to find at the BAU- this was one she wouldn't regret, she realised.

"Tell us everything." Garcia demanded and Hotch surprised even himself a little as he smiled and sighed, releasing his hold on her and allowing her to move away. She turned to face her teammates and scrunched up her face. "I don't know what to say."

"Try." Garcia demanded.

"Well... what do you want to know?" Emily asked, figuring that she worked best with direct questions.

"I want to know when it started, who started it, what the first kiss was like, any dirty details- and Emily, I want dirty details- and I also want to know if it's going to continue to keep me this happy," she said quickly and efficiently, sitting herself happily in Morgan's seat as he continued to look on with a shocked- but not unhappy- expression on his face.

"Ummm...." Emily started lamely. "I suppose it started after the fire. We were at the hospital and I's always felt... something... and then we got home and Strauss offered me the job and I went to Aaron's to talk to him and..."

"You're awful with dirty details," Garcia observed quietly, trying to hide her excitement. Hotch was watching quiet amusedly, seeing Emily go redder and redder. Though he loved to see her flustered- it attracted him hugely- he decided that it was time to stop Garcia's antics.

"Garcia, I think all you need to know is that this will hopefully continue to keep you quite happy," he said drily, though his smile remained. He was fond of Garcia- ever since the day she told him that he was one of the exceptions to the "chicks dig jerks" thing, he had realised that she was the foundation that kept them all balanced when they struggled to cope.

She smiled at him, the widest smile he had seen from her in a very long time- and then she stood up, looking at Emily and then at Hotch again and then said, "I'm going to my office to get ready. And then I'm going home." She looked beyond happy and her step was delightfully springy as she walked away, head high with a grin on her face.

Hotch shook his head quietly when she was gone and turned to Morgan. "Are you okay?" he asked. The last thing he wanted was for any member of the team to be awkward- and he knew that Morgan was adjusting.

"I just never would have said... Still, congratulations man. She's a good catch," he said, his face breaking into a smile as he looked at Emily. It was a look she knew only too well. It clearly said, _I'm gonna make so much fun out of you for this_. She groaned and glared at him. He smiled back at her and winked.

JJ knew already- she had known, along with Rossi, since that day in the SUV, and she couldn't have been happier. She wouldn't be the only one now trying to make some kind of relationship work around the job. She smiled at Hotch and nodded at him. "I think Spencer will be the last to hear properly," she said.

"Without a doubt," Hotch said, "But it will have to wait till tomorrow. I'm tired and he's with Rossi at the police station overnight."

She nodded and moved to her desk, picking up her bag to leave- she was finally going home to see her son. "I'll see you both tomorrow. Goodnight," she smiled at them and within a few seconds, she was gone.

Morgan too picked up his stuff and was ready to leave. "I will see you in the morning for coffee," he said half suggestively to Emily and she shook her head and moaned at him. "Stop it," she said, a smile spreading across her features again, "stop it!" she said, loudly, as he grinned at her and walked away backwards, nodding and smiling at her the whole way out the door.

He was as bad as Garcia when the mood took him.

When the bullpen was empty again, and Garcia had trotted out still smiling, Emily turned to him.

"Nightmare, I told you." She said.

"It wasn't that bad," he cajoled and pulled her into his arms for a hug. "It really wasn't."

"It wasn't because you stopped them!" she declared, pressing her face against his shoulder and relaxing slightly.

"I know," he said, smiling down at her and kissing her hair gently. She felt warm and relaxed in his arms and for a while neither of them said anything. She was happy to just stand there, leaning against him- and he was more than happy to have her there. His bitter arguments with Haley and the fact that he missed Jack so much seemed to disappear a small bit when he had her nearby.

If someone had asked him five days ago whether he would tonight be standing with her wrapped in his arms, he probably would have laughed. But impossibly, incredibly, it seemed so real now. The entire team knew- and they had no problems with it. She was easygoing, easy to work with, and the crossover from professional to personal had been relatively easy. He appreciated her; she would never know how much.

"Em?" he said softly.

"Yeah?" she answered in a half whisper, enjoying the silence of the BAU at rest. The lights were beginning to turn off and she knew that it was time to go. But still, she was disinclined to move- and so was he.

He kissed her hair again, noticing a pretty scent that he couldn't quite place, and hugged her again. She moved her head from his shoulder to his neck and very lightly kissed his skin. They had both had such a long day and she had felt would up for the past 20 hours or so, lost in a case that she hated because it had a personal element.

He loved it when she kissed him there; it was something Haley had never done and something he had never thought of. But it tickled him and woke him up and before long, he was kissing her properly, fighting her for power, a hand on her neck keeping her pressed against him tightly. He managed- though she had no idea how- to turn her and push her against the wall. Her hands moved over his back and shoulders as she gasped for air; how did he manage to get her so excited in only a few seconds?

His hands were roaming and she had no intention of stopping him. It took him seconds to attack her neck with his mouth, softly nipping the skin and kissing it better each time. Emily was entirely breathless and she mewled when he pushed her hands above her head and held them there. Aaron kissed her mouth again and moved lower, his free hand reaching under her shirt and caressing her skin. Any barrier he had was down again and his inhibitions, doubts, thoughts, disappeared. All he cared about at that moment was her.

With reckless abandon, he kept going. He lifted her leg over his hip and she felt the telltale hardness that told her he wasn't going to stop unless she stopped him. And she sure as hell wasn't going to stop him. The starlight gazed through the window, a night spy that wanted to know their business. The room was illuminated with a silvery whiteness and it lit up their skin deftly and silently.

In seconds he had pulled her shirt over her head, releasing her hands and allowing her to deftly remove his shirt. Her nails scrawled against his back when he lowered her leg and teasingly pulled the buttons of her trousers apart, sliding the material over her legs. The lights in the BAU were off and nobody could see them, but the thrill of office romance was too overpowering for her to reject it. He spurned her on when he pulled her shoes from her feet and slipped her pants off, kissing every piece of his skin he could access as he ran his hands up her body. Her head tossed and she closed her eyes when he kissed her stomach and hip. She wanted him more than she ever had before- but he was in charge; every time she tried to put his satisfaction first, he refused and focused on her again instead.

She was breathing quickly when he reached her mouth again, his hands pressing against her ass and side while he kissed her, his hot breath meeting hers in a fluffy of action. It was something she hadn't expected – and she moaned indecently- when his hands found her panties and reached inside them. Stricken, she closed her eyes again and inadvertently gasped once or twice in the next five minutes. And still, his mouth was fixed at her neck, her ear, her lips. Each time she responded actively, her hands running through his hair and neck, tickling him and providing tenderness in a dark spurn of passion.

She didn't notice that he had removed her panties and tossed them on the ground. Her bra was the only obstacle left to him, but at right that moment, he didn't care. He boosted her once more against the wall and as she tried to cling to the painted expanse behind her to relieve the blissful tension, he pressed himself into her and held her tightly.

She felt something inside her wind tighter and she tried to exhale slowly. She couldn't, and when release finally came to them both, she was crouched over him, kissing him longingly, biting his lip and digging into his shoulders with her nails.

For a few minutes he held her there, waiting for her breathing to return to normal, kissing her lightly every few seconds and calming himself down- or trying to, rather. Her hands still wandered through his hair and the feeling of desire wasn't gone- but it was late, later than he'd thought it would be, and this had been so spur of the moment and unplanned that he hadn't bargained on the amount of doors and alarms he would have to open to get them out of the building and to the parking lot.

He kissed her again as he lowered her leg and she relaxed against him, kissed his neck once more, and then left go of him to find her clothes. She pulled her panties back on and found her pants, pulling her shirt over her head and grabbing her shoes. It took less than a minute, and she looked the worse for wear as they left, but he looked no better, shirt tails hanging out and hair out of place.

They half ran to the car, Emily just having slipped her shoes on as they reached doors that Aaron had to unlock and relock again at the other side. Half laughing, he walked her to her car and spun her around in the parking lot, dancing with her in the freezing cold night air, stars shining down on them, the moon gleaming in the clear frost. They didn't notice the cold; it was lost on them as they moved through it.

He held the door open as she climbed into her car and she rolled down the window to talk to him.

"Goodnight," she said softly, holding his hand through the window. He leaned in to kiss her lips once and whispered "Goodnight Em."

Then he was gone. She sat there for five minutes, her stomachs till jumpy and jittery, and finally she put the key in the ignition and drove away, thinking about him the whole way home.


	20. Chapter Twenty A Revelation

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Criminal Minds related. Characters are merely borrowed and will be put back later. ;)**

**Fair and Foul**

**Chapter Twenty- A Revelation**

"_Passion is the quickest to develop, and the quickest to fade. Intimacy develops more slowly, and commitment more gradually still."_

_Robert Sternberg_

Days passed and then weeks; there were cases and then more cases, an apologetic and humbled Strauss who caused no more trouble, and a lot of long days at the office. Emily's wound healed, and she happily reported to a local hospital to get the stitches taken out- and the following day, Hotch followed in her footsteps and had his removed. The scars would never fully fade, but the pain that had gotten them to where they were had long been replaced by something better; something stronger and more rewarding.

It was a Tuesday, and it had been less than an hour since they'd returned from Miami. The case had been a bad one- they were all bad ones, but this one was one of the worst- and Garcia had pretty much thrown them from the office, telling them that if she heard one more word about death and murder, she would maybe undertake to do some of it herself.

Hotch had duly ordered everyone home, and had pulled Emily along with him for dinner. She had gone, happily, because she had something she wanted to talk to him about. She was tired from the case, everyone was, but she loved their dinners together. The entire team now knew about them being together- and the awkwardness and mockery she had expected had come in surprisingly short doses, and mostly when the team were all stuck in the office and bored senseless.

"So where are we going for dinner?" she asked. It had been almost two months now since they'd become an item, and the amount of good dinners she'd eaten in that time had made her a valid expert on local restaurants. "Piazzo," he said, smiling at her; it was her favourite.

It took them barely twenty minutes to get there and within ten minutes they'd both ordered. Aaron sat across the table from her, knowing that they were both very tired. He couldn't wait to crawl into bed and sleep for a full eight hours- something he hadn't done in about five days- and he knew that she felt the exact same way.

"Aaron?" she started, as soon as her plate was laid on the table in front of her and she thanked the waiter, "I wanted to ask you.., about Jack."

"What about him?" Aaron said slowly. Jack was actually the reason he had pulled her out to dinner with him this evening, when they were both so tired.

"I've met him only once in two months. You're not seeing him enough."

"She never calls," he said somewhat sadly. "And when I call, normally she's too busy, or not there, or out, or something else vague. She's keeping him from me Emily."

"I thought that you had sorted this out. You would see him at least once a week. That was the deal she made with you," Emily said softly.

"I know. But she doesn't seem to want to stick to it. I miss Jack; I want to see him- but Haley's being difficult right now. I'm not sure that I can make it right for him if my visits are going to be so stilting and short," he said, "Haley's right. He needs stability."

"That's as may be, but you and I can both say that the one thing we both needed was a father. Jack is no different Aaron. Did you seriously think about the legal option?"

"I did," he said honestly, "But it's costly and time consuming. And if I lost him even temporarily, I might lose him forever- I don't want him to feel bitter when he grows up."

She sighed softly. "I think that he misses you," she said and smiled slightly.

"I hope so," Aaron said.

They returned to small talk and case talk during dinner, and they both ate until they were entirely too full of food to even consider dessert. They hadn't had a real meal in days so they took the chance when they got it.

Before she thought things through properly, they were out in the windy night again, and she was next to her car. She kissed him tenderly, sweeping her hands across his back to hug him close to her. They left reluctantly; they each knew that they needed sleep. He hugged her for a long time before he allowed her to get into her car and drive away.

Once she was in the car, Emily drove. She knew exactly where she was going; this was something that he might hate her for, but she had to try. The night sky loomed overhead and she could hear the wind rustling the trees outside the car window as she drove. She almost turned back at least twice, but each time she decided that she had to try.

***

"Hi," she said quietly when Haley answered the door. "Can I come in?" She was nervous, and she couldn't hide it- but Haley too seemed caught off her guard, unaccustomed to seeing a new visitor.

Haley allowed her through the doorway and into the living room, wondering what exactly Emily Prentiss was here for. Hotch had told her, of course, that he was involved with Emily and Haley, bitter though she was, was unwilling to how that she felt the burning loss of her ex husband. The truth was that of all the people she would have wanted to see, Emily was definitely not one of them. She wasn't in the mood to play games and she didn't care, in truth, what Emily was there for.

"Haley, I..."

"Is this about you? Or is it about him?" Haley asked directly.

"It's about Jack actually," Emily said bluntly, and before Haley could say anything, she rushed ahead- "He needs his dad. I know that you wouldn't want Jack to be without a father."

"So what are you looking for?" Haley said, seemingly unaffected by Emily's opening speech.

"I want Aaron to know his son," Emily said softly.

"It's not that easy. Aaron's not been there for Jack," Haley said.

"No; but he's making the world a better place for Jack to live in. Nobody can say otherwise," Emily stated. "Aaron wants to see Jack as often as he can. But when he can and when he makes time, you block him off." She could see that she was plainly getting nowhere. Haley wasn't being very receptive.

"That was never my choice. It's not stable for my son if his father is only there half the time, and breaks his promises the rest of the time," Haley said, voice shaking.

"I understand that," she said calmly, "But I swear to you from the bottom of my soul; Aaron loves Jack. It kills him each time he can't make a visit, each time he has to break a promise. Haley, I'm asking you as someone who's seen him cry over this. Let him see his son," she finished, pleading.

Haley was wavering on the edge. She wanted Jack to see his father; regardless of anything else, Aaron was a good man and he did love Jack. But it wasn't good for the boy to be let down so often.

"How do I know he'll make the effort?" she asked, her final reservation out in the open.

"He always does, Haley. When he can't make it, he calls and talks to Jack for hours. When he misses a visit he tries to reschedule. He never forgets dates, names, birthdays. He has never forgotten Jack or not been thinking about him. Haley, take it from someone who knows; not having a father is much, much worse than being let down by him once or twice."

That broke Haley's resolve. Emily Prentiss was right. Not having a father was horrific. At least with Aaron, she had found a father with a heart of gold. He doted on his little boy and watched home videos of him whenever he missed him. He had never, ever forgotten his son, she was right.

"Alright," Haley said, "Alright. We'll arrange something steady. I'll call in the morning."

"Thank you. Honestly, thank you," Emily said. "I have to leave, we just got back from Miami and it's a long drive home. But thank you for letting me in and hearing me out Haley, really. I appreciate it."

Haley showed her to the door and watched her drive away, thinking all the while with an odd sadness in her chest that Emily Prentiss understood Aaron better than she ever had.

***

When he went to answer the door, he figured it would be her. This happened sometimes. She couldn't sleep or she couldn't sleep without a nightmare coming, and she would arrive here of her own free will- just like he had done on countless occasions himself.

He pulled open the door and allowed her in. He was wearing only his sweatpants, ready and prepared for bed, but he was still happy to see her. She was flushed and her hair had been tossed by the wind. She seemed cold too, and he saw that she didn't have a jacket. "Are you okay?" he asked her, already half concerned.

"I'm fine. Look, you might..."

"What's wrong?" he said, rubbing her arms and warming her as best he could as she closed the door behind her. Her nerve was running out, she had to tell him that she had gone to Haley's now- or else she never would.

"You might not like this, but I..."

"Spit it out Em," he said, worried that maybe she had had a particularly bad dream and ha doubts in her abilities, her talents... or maybe even doubts about them? Him?

"I went to see Haley," she said quickly.

"Oh," he said. He wasn't entirely sure of what to say to her. Though he knew that she had done it in his best interests, he also knew that Haley was unlikely to listen to her. He couldn't help but wonder if she had done more harm than good. "What did she say?"

"She said that she'll arrange something with you. She'll call in the morning," Emily said. "I'm sorry, it was out of line, but it was driving me insane seeing you so upset."

"Hang on," he said. "She said she would call tomorrow and arrange something?"

"... Yes," she said, wondering if she had made him angry.

"She'll call?"

"Yes, that's what she said. In the morning. To make a steady arrangement with you," Emily said, beginning to get a little worried.

"You got him back for me," he said, half dazed.

She looked at him for a few seconds and then said softly, "Are you upset with me? Angry? I understand if you are, I-"

"Thank you," he said suddenly, looking into her eyes. "From the bottom of my heart, thank you." And then he was smiling widely and hugging her, twirling with her around the hall. She hugged him back just as tightly, relief etching through her stomach; she had done the right thing. She loved it when he was this happy.

He had gotten close to her; closer than he had ever thought he would. He truly loved the time they spent together and had no intentions of letting her go at any stage in the future. When he realised that, though it was a private thought, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her softly and warmly, holding her close and resting his chin on her hair when he calmed himself.

She loved the feel of her cheek pressed against his neck, but after a few minutes, she pulled away. "I have to go," she said softly. "If I don't get some sleep soon, I never will."

"Stay here," he said. She glanced at him and thought about it. It had never been proposed to her like that before; usually, it either happened or it didn't, they had no plan for this relationship. She shrugged and nodded. "Okay. But only because tomorrow's a Sunday and you'll lend me a shirt to sleep in," she said, smiling softly.

"Deal," he said and kissed her again and again, light soft pecks against her cheeks and lips. When he finally stopped, he pulled her upstairs with him, found a shirt in his wardrobe and slipped into bed to wait for her. He wasn't sure why he had asked her to stay; he knew that it wasn't for sex, even though that was their usual reason for staying over.

His realisation that this was a more serious venture came when she wandered back into the bedroom, his shirt as per usual looking amazing on her. She pulled herself into bed beside him and settled next to him, curling her body around him. He hugged her to him and cuddled her gently, before reaching out to turn off the lamp and closing his eyes.

This was, he realised, the first time they would sleep together just for the sake of sharing a bed; it was an intimate action, rather than the desire driven result they were used to. He was stepping into a territory that he knew came with a serious relationship- the passion was there, but now there was a sense of belonging, an intimacy that didn't come from nothing.

And he wondered, was two months a ridiculously short space of time? Was he kidding himself into thinking that this was a serious relationship, was he that desperate to have one?

It wasn't a question he would answer easily- defining "serious relationship" was something he had avoided with Emily. She was spontaneous and beautiful, brave and reckless, unafraid of taking a risk every now and again. He had always seen her as a bit of a candle in the wind; there was no set path or direction with her by his side; life just was.

And he knew that she liked things that way- she was used to those terms and she didn't commit to anything unless she was sure about it. Yet despite her fear of commitment and her fear of letting her guard down, she had gone to see his ex wife and expressed solid interest in getting to know his son.

Had Emily Prentiss taken off her armour at last?

It was the final thought he had before he went to sleep that night, stroking her arm and watching her doze beside him. She looked so vulnerable next to him, and he had an urge to protect her that again told him his feelings for her were more than just lust and loneliness.

It was practically impossible for him to think about; two months in a relationship with her and he was living a different life. He smiled at work, felt less stressed, ate better and looked healthier. In the beginning, his heart had warned him not to get attached, because this was likely just a fling.

But he knew deep down that he wasn't the type of man to have an office fling and move on. And neither was Emily.

The more he thought about it, the more he realised that all signs pointed to yes.

He was falling in love with her.


	21. Chapter Twenty One Father and Son

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Criminal Minds related. Characters are merely borrowed and will be put back later. ;)**

**Fair and Foul**

**Chapter Twenty One- Father and Son**

"_The__ son said, 'God, help me to be the man my father is'. _

_The father pleaded, 'God, help me to be the man my sons wants me to be'.__"_

When she woke up, it was dull in the room and she could hear the world getting ready for work outside. She wanted to stay where she was, casually and calmly curled around his body, her hand splayed across his chest as he slept fitfully. Watching him sleep was like watching a baby; he was so calm, so quiet, so entirely devoid of stress and anger that she found it impossibly unbearable to wake him; he deserved the peace.

She reluctantly- very reluctantly- pulled herself from the warm corner of the bed and clambered out, walking to the window and pulling apart the curtains to watch the people outside. She could see a young woman with a baby in her arms and she could see an elderly couple walking toward the local shop. She had seen them before from right this spot; her favourite window in the house.

She sighed happily and listened to the bed sheets rustle behind her as Aaron made himself more comfortable. She had to go home soon, none of her clothes were in this house- she thought to herself that it might be sensible to leave some here at some stage- and so would have to return home alone to find some. She watched the street as a young boy ran into the quiet road to pull his dog back by the collar, giving out to him- futilely- for wandering into the street on his own. Just a like a mother would say to her child, she noted to herself.

And before she could think anything through properly, there were arms fixed around her waist. Aaron balanced his chin on her shoulder and watched the world outside with her for a few moments before he kissed the ticklish area beneath her ear and whispered a quiet "Good morning..." She smiled to herself and replied with a small "Mmm."

His hands wandered to the buttons of the shirt he had lent her the night before and he slowly, tantalisingly, agonisingly slowly, opened each button she had tied. It took him more than half a minute to finish the job, but as soon as he was done, he kissed her neck, desire rushing through him. He had seen her at the window and realised just how stunning she was; and she was his for the taking, so he'd slipped out of bed as quickly as he could to get closer to her.

His hands pulled the shirt open and ran across her hips above her panties. Her skin was soft and warm, and when the sun shone in the window, the ivory colour enticed him all the more. He moved his hands to her stomach, where his fingers carefully traced the still red scar dragging its ugly face across her perfect figure.

She had been self conscious about it, the first time they had had sex after the stitches came out- but he had kissed it, pressed his lips to it and caressed it cautiously, before telling her that it had brought them together – and so it was more beautiful than she might think.

Emily thought about that moment as she watched his hands trace the pattern across her skin. It had been a genuinely wonderful thing to tell her and had put her at ease about something so crude and angry. She allowed him to continue, thinking again that Haley had been mental to walk out on him. There was so much compassion, so much passion and kindness in him; how could she let him out of her life?

Aaron slipped his hands over her (perfect) breasts, pushing the shirt from her shoulders and letting it fall to the floor. One of her hands reached from her side to behind her, where she pushed her fingers through his hair, dragging him close to her for a long and tender kiss. He happily returned his main attentions to her body, returning one arm to her breasts and running the other hand across the front of her upper thigh, settling between her legs and pressing against her every few seconds- each time made her moan ever so slightly, and he was more than pleased to continue.

She turned to face him and casually kissed his bare chest and shoulder, smiling at him when he looked at her, elated. He snaked his arms around her torso and lifted her from the floor. She fixed her legs around his waist and fixed her arms around his neck and head, forcing him into a deep and passionate kiss, pressing her tongue against his in a battle of wills.

He turned them around and took the two steps to the bed as quickly as he could, pushing her down and climbing on top to kiss her body, as much of it as he could kiss, in just a few moments. She giggled at certain times and he found that his knowledge of what she liked and disliked had gone up hugely. He could make her giggle, groan, cry out or gasp at will- and he was more than aware that she could do the exact same to him with no trouble at all.

And yet, it never got boring.

Just as his hands spread out at her head and he lowered himself to her to kiss her lips once more- the phone rang. He moaned and looked down at her.

"That might be Haley," she said matter-of-factly. "Oh God!" he exclaimed and reached for the phone next to the bed, clambering off of her and picking it up breathlessly. "Hello?"

As the conversation went on- and she gathered that it was going well, Emily tuned out and crawled towards him again. As he settled on the bed and lay down, she wrapped her body around him and pressed herself against him, making him catch his breath on the phone. She smiled to herself and listened to the end of the conversation.

"Yes. No, I can get there this morning, absolutely."

Haley replied on the other end.

"I will. And Haley... thanks," he said, before he hung up.

"You will what?" Emily asked softly.

"I will thank you for helping us. The three of us," he said sincerely, moving his body to face her and stretching an arm over her back, stroking her gently.

"I'm going to pick him up and bring him to day care every morning before I go to work. I'll call him each night. And I'll see him every Sunday I'm available."

"That sounds fantastic," she said, relishing the happy smile on his face.

"I know," he said, "but it means we have to wait to continue this..."

"That's fine," she said, "Go get your son."

Half reluctantly, he got up and wandered to the shower. She got out of bed and picked the shirt up, tying it across her before she wandered to the kitchen for breakfast before going home. When he stumbled into the room twenty minutes later, she was at the kitchen counter, a bowl of cereal in her hands and a cup of tea in front of her. He ran to her, kissed her softly on the lips and took a spoonful of her cereal before saying, "I'll see you at work."

And then he was gone.

Emily was amazed by how much he had changed now. He was casual about her, leaving her in the house, eating with her, sleeping with her and generally enjoying having her around. They had tiny tiffs from time to time- about things like the different newspapers they read and where the remote control was and who would wash the dishes- but they always ended up giggling and kissing like teenagers.

She had to admit that a settled life had never seemed on the cards for her. But now it at least seemed feasible. If someone had told her two months ago that it would be with Aaron Hotchner, she probably would have laughed rudely and taken it as a joke.

Sighing, she rinsed her cup and bowl and wandered to find her clothes from the night before so that she could go home and prepare for work.

***

"Daaaaaddddd!" came the happy cry of two and a half year old Jack as he struggled to free himself of his mother's grasp. When she let him go, he ran to his father, happy as could be to see Dad again. Aaron laughed and picked him up, groaning jokingly at the added weight and swinging his son through the air, a smile across his face.

"Okay little man, I'm going to talk you to day care, sound good?"

"Every day, Dad?" asked Jack solemnly. "Every day I can possibly take you, yes," he said. That seemed to appease Jack, who smiled at fixed his arms around Aaron's neck, hugging him tightly. Aaron smiled and nodded at Haley, who waved and nodded in return, a small smile on her face at seeing Jack so happy. And then Aaron strapped Jack into the car and jumped into the driver's seat, pulling away from the house and toward the day care centre.

"Dad, dad!" Jack called from the backseat.

"Yeah Jack?" Aaron said patiently, delighted to hear the word _Dad_ again after what felt like forever.

"Tuck!" Jack cried out, and Aaron smiled as a big yellow truck drove past them. Jack squealed and happily pointed at it, "Tuck, tuck!!"

Aaron chatted to his son the entire way to day care, laughing at the funny things he said and feeling a well of emotion when halfway through the drive Jack yelled "Daaaad!" and when Aaron replied, "Yes Jack?", his wonderfully tactful son said, "I love yooo!" with a loud giggle.

"I love you too kiddo," he replied, a mix of emotions playing in his head.

When they arrived at the centre, he stepped out of the car and pulled Jack- and his satchel- from the seat, carrying him in his arms to the door, swinging him around making airplane noises and adoring every moment he spent with his boy.

The door jumped open just as Aaron approached it and Angela, one of the carers, came out with a smile. "I've not seen you in a bit," she said, "Jack draws pictures for you every day. I assume you've seen them?"

"Yeah," he said smiling, "Haley passes them on to me." Jack was fixed around his neck and he stroked his back. "Hey, we're here," he said cheerfully, knowing that since he was suffering separation anxiety already, it was likely that jack was too, "You ready?"

"Yes.." Jack said, half sadly. He was a bright kid- and on more than one occasion, had been let down by his father.

"Jack," Aaron said, putting him on the ground and bending down in front of him, "I will phone you tonight, okay?" he said, "And I'll read you a story on the phone. And on Sunday, I'll bring you home and we can play in your room, okay?"

"Okay!" Jack said excitedly, hugging his father once more and rushing out a quick "I love you Dad!" before running inside with Angela.

"I love you too," Aaron said, and turned his back on the door, pulling his sunglasses on and preparing for another day at work.

***

Emily arrived ten minutes late. It wasn't her fault, the traffic was brutal and she'd spilled coffee on her shirt. She was lucky that her overnight bag had been in her car, because otherwise she would have had to wear it all day. As soon as she arrived she dropped her stuff at her desk, sighed at Morgan, smiled at Reid, said hi to Rossi and asked JJ about Henry. She did it all very quickly, feeling stressed about being late and sore from the burning coffee.

Hotch stepped from his office. "Emily, can I talk to you, for a second?" he said. He had taken to calling her by her first name at work; he did it with Dave too, so nobody had taken any notice.

"Uhh, sure," she said, grabbing the shirt from her bag and trotting to his office.

"How'd this morning go?" she said when she arrived.

"It was great," he said quietly, "Really great. Listen, I-"

"Is this about my being late?" she said, flinching slightly.

"No. It was eleven minutes, nothing major , it's fine," he said.

Trust him to have noticed exactly how late she had been. She rolled her eyes and he knew why, but he ignored it. She pushed her hands against her shirt, sighing at it, and looked at him.

"So what's wrong?" she asked, mildly concerned.

"I told Jack that I would bring him home on Sunday. Will you come too?" he asked her.

She glanced at him for a second, and then smiled, "Why not? I'll be there."

"Thank you," he said, "And what happened to you?"

"Spilled coffee all over myself," she said, "In the car. I'm gonna get changed."

"Hold on," he said quietly, reaching out and grabbing her hand, pulling her close to him. "Let me help..."

She felt like hitting him; they had nearly been caught by Morgan the last time they had done something like this in the office and the jokes she had heard about it afterwards had been awful- but she just couldn't resist. They seemed to return to the pattern of the morning as he stripped the shirt from her, kissing her arms, shoulders, neck and mouth happily.

She pulled the other shirt from the table and shrugged it over her arms and across her back as he nibbled on her lip, getting distracted more than once and kissing him back attentively.

It took five minutes to change her shirt; they team would have jokes to make about that. She sighed and pulled away. "I'm late," she said, "I have work to do."

He smiled at her and left her pull away. "And one more thing," he said to her before she left.

"Yeah?" she said, folding the discarded shirt up, not looking at him.

"When you come over on Sunday... Bring a change of clothes so you can stay over properly," he said. "You can be there when I drop Jack off on Monday."

She smiled at him and nodded. "I'd be happy to," she said quietly, and left the office, still slightly flushed from her sojourn inside.

She was immediately met by Morgan. "Ooh, someone's red. Someone's red!" he catcalled mockingly.

She glared at him and then broke into a smile. "At least I'm getting some," she said.

And he stopped laughing. "Burn," he said before shaking his head and smiling again.

She smirked and took her seat, dignity intact.


	22. Chapter Twenty Two Before Sunday

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Criminal Minds related. Characters are merely borrowed and will be put back later. ;)**

**A/N: There should be two chapters in quick succession here, enough to hopefully make up for me not posting one yesterday. Please note that some of the text in this one, you may have read it before. It's adapted, but the same story is used in "Honour Thy Father", one of my recent oneshots.**

**Fair and Foul**

**Chapter Twenty Two- Before Sunday**

*******

"_It makes you so vulnerable. It opens your chest and it opens your heart and it means that someone can get inside you. You build up all these defences, you build up a whole suit of armour, so that nothing can hurt you..."_

_Neil Gaiman_

***

Sunday was creeping up on her much faster than she had thought it would.

The week seemed to fly by, and Hotch gave them Friday off because there were no cases and no calls. They were all, shockingly, ahead with the other aspects of their jobs and so he granted them an extra day. During her free time that day, Emily had sat at home, read the newspaper, bought some milk, read another newspaper and half hoped that someone would kill a few people so that she could defeat the boredom. She was glad when Friday night came and she went out for a walk with Aaron, before returning to his house for the night- something she hadn't planned on, but her bag was ready in her car so she decided to play along.

She stayed there the whole way through Saturday and found herself content and comfortable, as opposed to bored out of her mind as she would have been at home. There were hours when she simply lay on his couch, her head stretched across his lap as he stroked her hair and they watched old DVDs they both loved- she was surprised to find that he loved Chaplin as much she did; it had never come up in conversation before. They had cooked dinner and chatted about work (or lack thereof) and talked about Reid, who seemed to be getting stronger and stronger each day, his problems evidently left behind him.

As soon as they finished watching City Lights on Saturday night, Emily pulled herself from the couch and wandered to the kitchen with her hot chocolate mug, intent in rinsing it out and stretching her legs. She made it as far as the sink before Aaron caught up to her, pulling her back toward him and hugging her warmly. He still hadn't gotten around to telling her that he had fallen head over heels in love with her; he just didn't know what she would say if he casually dropped it into conversation.

She would never, ever tire of his kisses; that much she was definitely sure of. Austere and professional, Aaron Hotchner was the last person she would suspect of being so romantic and loving. His determination to separate his personal and private lives had been destroyed recently as he maintained leadership of the team, as well as his relationship with Emily. It didn't bother him as much as it might have in past times, when he felt that he had to protect Haley from the darkness of his work. Indeed, with Emily, he got to embrace that darkness and talk it through when it bothered him. It made for a stronger and happier Hotch, and that kept the entire team satisfied.

As she rinsed the cup, a small smile playing about her lips, Aaron kissed her neck and collar bone, pushing his oversized shirt from her shoulder and nipping her skin softly. She left the cup in the sink and turned to him, sliding her arms around his neck and ever so softly biting his lip. She could feel a warmth grow inside her when he easily lifted her from the ground. Emily tied her legs around his waist and kissed him back warmly. This was where she was most comfortable, most at home; and the fact that her bare legs were clasped around her boss's waist was neither weird nor awkward. She just fell into the trap of his arms each time; strong she might be, but she completely gave herself to him happily when the opportunities arose.

It took him less than a minute to move to his couch, the first place he had kissed her and held her close to him; it was almost like an anniversary. He stood near the couch for a second, just stroking her back and letting her take over him with her strong kisses, before letting her back down to the ground. He sat on the couch and pulled her down with him, still kissing her, firmly determined to not let go.

Emily fell down with him and found herself straddling him on the seat, her arms still around his neck, fingers pushing through his hair- which was something she knew he loved. Aaron ran his hands across her thighs, the only parts of her legs he could reach as she sat over him, and rested his fingers at her lower back, tickling her skin and stopping their kiss to nuzzle her face and close his eyes again. It was rare for them to talk in their most intimate moments, neither of them ever felt that they could keep up a coherent conversation; and it suited them.

As he opened the buttons of her shirt and slipped it off of her frame, leaving her in just her panties, he kissed her collarbone and gripped her back to pull her closer. She let out a whispered gasp when he pressed a kiss against her breast and tried to talk to him.

"Aaron," she half gasped, but he shook his head, smiling at her and continuing to kiss and nibble at her, "Aaron!" she said louder.

"Sssshhh," he half demanded and easily pulled her from his lap, pushing her to lie on the couch under him. She remained quiet- save tiny unwitting whimpers and mewls- during the next five minutes, eyes closed and chest heaving as he lavished attention on ever part of her he could think of. Nothing escaped him, the joints of her elbows, the tender skin beneath her breasts, her hips and ribs, her stomach- and the hot sensitivity of her most intimate place, which he longingly caressed while he peeling her white panties off, grinning at her dramatic and sudden spluttering whisper of "God..."

When he returned to her lips, she pulled his shirt over his head, discarding it behind her and rubbing his shoulders and arms, roughly demanding more from him.

In truth, he was more than happy to give it to her. His pants were off in seconds and he lay with her a while, returning to her mouth and forcing her to fight for breath and dominance while they kissed. For a while she lay there trying to catch her breath, her leg latching around his, her smooth skin pushing against his. Still, she fought for dominance.

She managed to push him from her and knelt on the couch facing him, pushing her body against his and dominating him with sudden ease. She kissed him roughly for a while, feeling his hands roaming over her back and ass, squeezing against her thighs and roughly, tightly keeping her close. It was a battle of wills, but she was winning. She pushed him into the seating position they had began in and straddled him again, moaning quietly, cheeks flushing red, when she felt them slot together. It had never gotten old for her; each time was better than the last and they had both noticed how well they fitted, how her body seemed the perfect proportion and size to mould around his and how they knew each others' instincts and emotions so well without even thinking about it.

Emily rocked against him longingly, desperately clinging to him and letting bliss take over her as he locked his hands into her hair and pulled her head back, allowing him to leave a line of kisses along her exposed neck and throat. Every small sigh and noise she made, he relished the knowledge that he was the cause that pleasure. His hands moved and pressed against her body, her breasts and ribs before he finally placed them on her hips and guided her body into euphoria. He shared in the intoxication of the moment and when calm came, he found himself hugging her deeply, his hands tenderly tracing patterns across her back.

Emily's eyes were closed, her face pressed against the skin of his neck, her hot breath tickling him softly as her breathing relaxed into a contended calmness. It was five minutes before either of them moved, and even then it was reluctant. Emily pulled her head back and kissed him softly, smiling at him, before moving from him to pick the shirt from the floor and push her arms through it. She kissed him once more and wandered to the bathroom to take a shower.

When she went to the bedroom, he traded places with her and she slipped into bed to wait for him. She was half asleep when he emerged and slid in next to her, pulling her close and allowing himself to fall into a deep and comfortable sleep.

***

The following day, Emily was in the bullpen, passing a file to Morgan when a familiar face stormed into the BAU with a shotgun held aloft, shouting threats to the team. She couldn't place the man in question, but she knew that she had seen him before. As she struggled with her brain, she realised that he was in the bullpen for one reason and one reason only. He was going to kill them.

And she couldn't let that happen. Screaming at the others to get back, since she alone was armed, she reached for her gun and fumbled to get it out of its holster. It seemed to take her forever, and Aaron came from his office, wondering what the commotion was about.

As he stepped out, the shotgun rose again and in a fury, their attacked fired, once, twice, three times, hitting Emily and knocking her to the floor, where she felt everything go dark. Desperately struggling to remain conscious, she looked for her gun near her. She knew- she wasn't sure how she knew, but she knew- that none of the rest of the team could fight back, and if she died, they would die too. She could feel Aaron moving toward her, as quickly as he could- but it all passed in slow motion. As she fumbled on the floor, blood pouring from her arm, shoulder and chest, a few empty, hollow tears slipped down her cheeks and despair overtook.

And then the gunman shot again, hitting Aaron square in the stomach, causing him to crumple and fall over, tumbling down the steps from his office and hitting the floor with a horrific thump. She wanted to scream, to roar, to cry out in fear and pain- but she could do nothing but lie there. Grief stricken, she was forced to watch as the man she loved fell into a heap, the light leaving his eyes as he tried to the end to reach her.

She never told him that she loved him. He would never know.

And then she choked, her body seemed to shudder and shake, and she was left limp, lifeless, the last of life ebbing away. And as she looked at the shooter one last time, his face was the last thing that filled her head. She knew him. She knew him well enough to feel a wave of guilt rushing over her.

It was her father.

***

And she woke screaming, beating what held her down with her fists, kicking with her legs, tears trailing from her eyes as she tried, in a frenzy, to open them. It felt as though she couldn't, and she was being held down. She had to move, to get up, to help them and to make him explain!

"Hey!" came a voice nearby, "Em? Emily!" Strong arms found her in the dark and she opened her eyes and sat upright. He was looking at her, the bedside lamp on, sheets thrown everywhere, the entire thing a figment of her imagination. She had trouble relaxing, her breath coming in quick gasps, tiredness quickly taking over where despair had been in her dream only seconds before.

She managed to calm herself down when he hugged her close to him, tentatively rubbing her arms and knowing that it had been a nightmare. Given their job though, he knew also that it had been a particularly bad one. They talked about them from time to time, but in the time they had spent together, she had never woken screaming from her sleep, disorientated and frightened.

"Sssh..." he whispered into her ear as he rocked her back and forth. "It was a dream..."

It took twenty minutes before she slept again, her head bowed against his chest, his arms still around her. He carefully lowered her on her side and lay next to her, making sure that he could still hug her and hold her; terrified that it might happen again. It had been past 5am when she woke up; they would be up in three hours anyway. He pulled part of a light sheet over them and relaxed into a stilting and worried state of sleep.

***

When he woke up, she was gone. The curtains were closed and the bathroom light off, two of the hints to him that she was not alright, wherever she was. She always opened the curtains to look outside, and she always left the bathroom light on out of habit. He pulled himself from the bed and noticed the scratch marks on his fingers and wrists- she had fought him for a few minutes the night before, when she had been in her sleeping panic.

He wandered through the house, calling her name softly, wondering where she might have gone to, hoping that she hadn't left. When he walked into the kitchen, there was no coffee brewing, which was another hint that she was definitely still freaked out, and finally, he was forced to admit that she had most likely left- though her bag was still in the living room, and her phone was charging in the kitchen.

He walked through the house once more, still calling her but getting no response. Eventually he opened his bedroom curtains, and saw that her car was still parked outside. She hadn't gone home, that was definite. Beginning to get a little panicky, he moved through the house again, faster, yelling for her, and eventually his eyes drew him to look outside the living room window, to the old swing seat he and Haley had installed the first year Jack was born, so that they could watch him learn to walk and play in the garden.

But there she was, curled into the corner of the seat, rocking gently, a blanket wrapped around her. She seemed calm, but when he looked closer, he was sure she had been crying.

The day was only just starting outside, and when he stepped outside the patio door, she said nothing. His bare feet became cold as he walked the few steps to the chair, but he didn't want to leave her there.

"Emily?" he said softly, worriedly, as he approached her. She sniffed and managed a small, "Yeah?" she said, trying to inject some brightness into her tone- and failing miserably.

"Em, what's wrong?" he said quietly as he came to face her on the swing seat. "Can I sit down?"

She nodded, not quite able to talk properly yet. He sat at the opposite end of the chair to her and looked at her, her face twisting and contorting into a sadness he knew nothing about. "Oh, God, Emily, come here," he said comfortingly, and she moved along the chair to him, pulling the blanket with her, not really caring about the iron light of the cold morning. He took the blanket from her and wrapped it around them both as she settled against him, her back against his chest, his legs bent and fitted around hers, keeping her as warm, close, and safe as he could.

He could see some of her pale skin through the shirt she wore, half of the buttons untied, and when she rested her head back against his chest he wrapped his arms around her, one hand on her flat stomach, the other gently stroking her arm.

I never thought I would be here," Aaron half whispered, "with you."

"Me neither," Emily said softly, and then decided that he had a right to know what had happened the night before. And she would tell him, when she calmed down more.

"Aaron," she said quietly, "Tell me about your father."

"There's not much to tell," he murmured, and though his actions didn't change, she knew that this was already hard for him.

"I miss my Dad," she said softly. "I never knew him- I never wanted to. My mom threw him out and took me around the world. I never saw him and all I heard about were his bad qualities."

Aaron reached for one of her hands and held it, comforting her as she continued.

"And then one day he wasn't there anymore. He'd died of alcohol poisoning," she whispered. "He left me a letter."

"I'm sorry," Aaron whispered into her ear.

"It was a beautiful letter. He told me that he loved me, and that he regretted the past that had separated us. I never knew him- and I never forgave my mother for taking him from me. He loved her right until the day he died, and she felt nothing for him. She didn't go to the funeral," she finished sadly, tears welling in her eyes.

"At least you know that he loved you," Aaron said. "It's a small consolation, but he's proud of you now, and he knows that you love him back."

"Mmmm," she said, and in his heart, Aaron knew that that would never be enough. She would never be the daughter she could have been, and it bothered him that she would think that way.

"My father was an alcoholic," he said, half ashamed. She squeezed his hand and held it close to her chest as he continued his story.

"When he wasn't drinking, he was fine, he really was. I adored him, and so did Sean. He treated my mother so well. But when he drank... he got violent. He lashed out and hurt everyone. I tried to take the fall for Sean as often as I could, but it wasn't always possible. He would scream and roar and throw things. We were only kids..." his voice was reduced to a whisper.

"And then things got worse. He beat my mother. And then he beat me. I was older then. I tried to protect her and I kept Sean safe, but it made no difference. It still hurt as much as ever and I still felt awful when they cried," he said, his lower lip trembling. She knew that he would cry before his story was done; she knew that she would comfort him then, but for the moment she merely kissed his hand- he needed to finish telling her. Otherwise he would try again one day, and it was an upset she didn't want him to suffer again.

Tears spilled over and down his cheeks as he explained, "He got cancer. He set his affairs in order, left everything to my mother and died when I was sixteen," he said. "I went to the funeral. Hundreds of people told me what a great man he was. And all I could do was thank them and pretend that we had lived a dream. I hated it. I hated him."

"You still do," Emily said softly and turned to look in his eyes.

"I still do," Aaron confirmed as more tears fell. She turned to face him, tucking her legs under her to make it more comfortable, and she wiped the tears away with her thumbs. "I'm sorry," she said, "I'm sorry..."

"No," he shushed her, grasping her fingertips and kissing her hand, "It's not your fault."

"It is. I- My dream last night... it was about him. And he killed me. And you. And it was just- it just brought everything back."

_Oh, God._ He found himself feeling sorry for her, feeling horrible for what she had been forced to see in her sleep. He wrapped his arms and the blanket around her more and watched as she rested her head against his chest, her own tears tickling his skin. He had never seen her more vulnerable. And he couldn't help wondering- was there something else the matter?

After twenty minutes of silence, as she looked out at the birds flying haplessly across the garden and as the sun rose properly above the clouds, basking them in a warm light, she realised that she had to tell him. Otherwise the reason behind that dream would come back to haunt her again.

"Aaron?" she said softly.

"Yeah?" he murmured, feeling tired and weary, his eyes closed and his face relaxed in the sunlight.

She lifted her head and moved a hand from where it rested on his chest to his face, where she pressed her fingers against the stubble on his cheek. "Aaron?"

He opened his eyes and found himself looking into hers. He was, yet again, caught up in how stunning she was, even after she had been crying and had suffered a bad night's sleep. She moved her hand again, to rest it against his shoulder, and made her final choice to tell him.

"I love you," she said simply, holding her eye contact with him.

She understood, of course, that he would never say it back. Or at least, not yet. But she owed it to him to let him know how she felt. She had ripped her armour to shreds for him, and she wasn't ashamed of it. For once, she felt that she had been more honest than she ever had been before, and she knew that having said it, she had accepted it too. It might only be two months or so, but she had never felt quite so strongly about anyone before. There was no point in denying it.

She was utterly astounded when he replied. Smiling openly and pressing his hand to her face, wiping away the last of the tears, he told the truth- finally.

"I love you too."

***

"_...Then one stupid person, no different from any other stupid person, wanders into your stupid life...You give them a piece of you. They didn't ask for it. They did something dumb one day, like kiss you or smile at you, and then your life isn't your own anymore."_

_Neil Gaiman_

***


	23. Chapter Twenty Three Sunday

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Criminal Minds related. Characters are merely borrowed and will be put back later. ;)**

**A/N: So we come to the end of this story. The next chapter will be the final one, so I'm here asking a favour of you guys. I have written quite a few Hotch/Emily oneshots recently and I want to make one of them part of my next H/P story. I'd love you guys to tell me your ideas for which you would most like to see me use.**

**I like the idea of a kidnapping, myself. Either of them? Both of them? Ideas? Let me know. :)**

**Also, I realise that this took longer coming than I had thought. My internet played up for a long time earlier on, so though this was written, and ready to go, I couldn't post it. :( Apologies for my poor connection!**

**Fair and Foul**

**Chapter Twenty Three- Sunday**

"_Whatever they grow up to be, they are still our children, and the one most important of all the things we can give to them is unconditional love. Not a love that depends on anything at all except that they are our children."_

_Rosaleen Dickson _

A number of minutes passed and neither said anything else for a bit. And then she said what was on her mind. "I never thought that you would..."

"Yeah," he murmured into her ear as he rested his head against hers, "I finally worked it out the other day. I wanted to tell you, but I was afraid that you'd not..."

"Yeah," she said, still slightly dazed but knowing exactly what he meant. She loved him. She had known that, of course. What she never would have guessed at was that he loved her too.

And so they sat there, in the intricate light of the morning, comfortable and relaxed- her nightmare passed into nothing, her fears abated by the warmth she felt in her stomach. It was oddly like the warmth of tequila, though that wasn't an adequate description. They had been sitting there for quite a long time, and she began to wonder about that. She stopped thinking about their admissions for a minute, trying to gauge what time it might be now.

"Aaron," she said suddenly, her tone sharper than it had been before.

"Mmm?" he said quietly, inhaling the scent of her hair.

"Aaron, what time is it? Jack's coming over today."

And then suddenly they were both on their feet, chuckling slightly, laughing and making light of the fact that Jack Hotchner had almost arrived to find his father tucked on a swing seat with a half naked woman Jack didn't know. They got ready, pulled clothes on, made breakfast, turned the TV on to the news, which they watched as they prepared for the rest of the day. The plan was to simply engage Jack for the evening, keep him company and play games with him, to introduce Emily (who was nervous) and see how he reacted.

The thing was, Emily was fantastic with children. She always had been. At age 17, she'd worked out that her life choices had perhaps not been the right ones, and she had dwelt on those choices ever since. She was deeply indebted to Aaron for accepting them, for not judging and for helping her to confide in him. She could remember the past partners, including the ones she had truly loved and trusted enough to tell them the truth. How they had walked out on her, telling her that she had made mistakes; that they couldn't be with someone who would abort a child.

And each time, it hurt her even more. Each time, she had contracted even more, withdrawn into herself and refused to let that trust out. A choice she had made when she was fifteen... and people had still judged her more than fifteen years later. She was 39 now. She had never found someone to share her time, her love, her infinite trust, with. And even as she walked into the kitchen for one more cup of coffee to keep her going, anticipating Jack's arrival at about 2pm after lunch, she knew that one of the reasons she loved Aaron was because he had accepted, regardless of his own thinking, that she had made her decisions and dealt with them in her way. It wasn't for him to pick faults in her, tell her she was wrong, or walk out on her in disgust for one choice she had made in desperation, despair and hopelessness when she was still a child.

Which was why, coffee in hand, she walked to where he stood with the newspaper he had found delivered on the porch and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks," she said. "For last night. And this morning. And everything else."

He smiled at her, his eyes pulled immediately from the business section, and he wound an arm around her and kissed her deeply. "No thanking," he said, "I didn't do anything."

She disagreed, but was smiling too much to press the argument. The lips pressed against hers would always, always be a welcome way to make her happy inside.

And the butterflies, she realised right then, still had not disappeared, after over two months and a step into steadiness. She was head over heels. The cliché aggravated her; but the truth behind it didn't.

And just as she was twirling her fingers through his hair, pressed into his body and curving around him, the doorbell rang. She pulled away and smiled. "Go get your son," she said, and waited in the kitchen, not wanting to encroach. He left her briefly and went to the door, pulling it open and leaving out a tiny "oomph," as Hurricane Jack hit his legs at full force. He nodded at Haley, smiling slightly at her.

"Emily's here?" she said. He nodded at her. They had talked about this, and they had all agreed that if Hotch had formed a new relationship, then it was important that he be introduced to Emily. The truth was that it hurt Haley- a lot. The love of her life had found someone else and moved on. He had found the girl he had probably always been looking for subconsciously. He had found her. Haley hadn't been able to cope with seeing them together just yet; the thought of it saddened her, and she was thus happy that Emily had not accompanied him to the door.

Jack was banging Aaron's legs, looking for attention, and Aaron happily swept him into his arms, smiling at him and telling him to wave at Mommy, which Jack did, reaching to his mom for a final hug. Emily, able to see the exchanges from the kitchen, smiled to herself. Inside her, doubts began to grow. The three of them fitted well together as a family. She was an outsider, in truth. And the last thing she wanted was to be a difficult and complex addition. Over the past few days, things had been better for Aaron and Haley. Emily began to question herself. What if Jack wanted to see his parents back together? He might be too young to understand now, but what about later, when he asked questions. What about when he felt bitter towards her- thought of her as a home wrecker?

Her smiled disappeared slightly, but she waved off her mild upset as the door closed and Aaron left Jack to the floor again, where the boy ran screaming into the kitchen. He pulled up abruptly when he saw Emily, looking at her curiously. "Daaaaaaaaad!" he said loudly, and Aaron smiled happily. The house sounded better with noise in it. He followed Jack to the kitchen, where a smiling and relaxed Emily stood waiting, and he introduced her.

"Jack, that's Emily. She'll be here all day," he said simply, deciding not to overcomplicate it.

Jack scrunched his face up and turned his head to the side.

"Can she play with me?" he asked, curious again. She smiled but allowed the answering to Aaron, who shrugged and looked at his son. "Why don't you ask her?"

"Em'lllyyyyyyy!" Jack called to her, wandering towards her, dropping his bag on the floor near her.

"Yeah?" she said, smiling widely and hunching down to talk to him properly.

"Will you play with me?" he said. He was unable to stop himself from smiling at her welcoming face.

"I'd love to!" she declared and her love of children came straight back when he grabbed her hand and pulled her to his bag, which he knocked over once or twice before managing to open the zip (Emily loved the concentration on his face and his stout refusal when she offered to help), and taking out some of his favourite toys.

She passed hours with him on the floor, playing with the toys as Aaron made Jack's dinner in the background, a contented smile on his face that Emily got on so well with his son. And she wasn't the only one; Aaron joined them too and played with his son, throwing a ball back and forth between the three of them, hugging his son and making the most fun he possibly could out of the day.

And once dinner was ready, Jack refused to eat unless Emily sat with him and told him stories about ghouls and ghosts, making up characters and telling tall tales of princesses needing rescuing, frogs dancing, and merpeople swimming through the lakes of the world. He adored it.

And after his dinner, when he was tired out and yawning, he crawled to the couch in the living room and insisted that somebody read him a story. Throughout all of this time, he mostly refused to let go of Emily's hand, and yelled to "Daaaaaad!" every so often to "Look, look!"

Aaron had partly hoped that this would happen. He saw his son every day during the last week. To jack, Emily was a novelty- but one that he was comfortable with. Aaron had intended for her to spend time with Jack- and he was more than pleased that neither of them needed any prompting before spending time with the other. This had been his plan, and Emily knew that.

When the time came to read the story, Emily suggested that Aaron read for a while, and she would love to listen. But Jack had other ideas. "Both! Two stories!" he yelled gleefully. Emily was forced to laugh at him for at least the fortieth time that day, delighting in the innocent persistence of the child standing before her.

And so the three of them sat on the couch and Emily and Aaron traded the book Jack had brought with him, reading stories and making up voices, once even playing different characters in the same story. Jack was enthralled with the two of them, and listened to the stories in fascination.

And his eyelids slowly began to droop as he dropped into sleep, his head pressed dozily against Emily's side, her legs tucked under her, her arm around Aaron who sat next to her with his son's body half tucked between them and half lying across them in extreme comfort.

And Emily sighed, relaxing into the seat and shook her head disbelievingly. "He's amazing," she said to Aaron, who smiled. "I know."

"I mean, I'm exhausted, but he's amazing!" she said, laughing quietly to herself. Aaron could do nothing but smile at her, until eventually she said, "What?"

"You're amazing," he said. "I knew you liked children, but... wow. Jack really loved today. He loved you," he whispered softly, a smile spreading across her face. She could do nothing but smile at him, and she shrugged. "Children know nothing about politics," she cajoled, " so I get along well with them," but then she said, sincerely, "thanks."

"Emily...." he started again, but her eyes were closed too as she rested her head against his shoulder.

"Go on," she coaxed, "I'm listening."

"You have pen on your cheek," he said and smiled widely. She opened her eyes deliberately to roll them at him, completely not caring about the pen marks on her face, and indeed, her hands.

She found herself caught up in a moment of serene calm and utter love as she sat there. She closed her eyes again and welcomed the warmth of his lips against her face, near her eye, pressed against the bone. She smiled softly and was relatively unsurprised when he moved his hand to tip her face closer to his and half kissed her lips, barely pushing his lips against hers, an intimate and compassionate gesture, full of warmth and- dare he say it- love.

He moved from her reluctantly, knowing that putting Jack to bed was a necessity. She understood what he was planning without him conveying it, and she held Jack close to her as Aaron stood up. He leaned over and she lifted Jack into his arms tenderly, careful not to wake the boy.

When she hung back, allowing Hotch some private time with his son, he appreciated it even though he felt it was unnecessary. He crept up the stairs and laid Jack into his bed, surrounded by the familiarity of his old bedroom, which he hadn't seen in some time, but which would occupy him in the morning before Haley came to get him.

As he laid his son down on the bed and sat beside him for a minute to cover him with the duvet, Jack stirred and woke slightly. "Dad?"

"Mmmm?" he answered, tucking the blankets around the tiny body in front of him, the purest love swelling in his chest at the sight of his own child in front of him. "Em'ly's nice," Jack murmured, before his eyes closed again and he drifted into a world inhabited by fairytale creatures and princes, princesses and dragons.

Aaron sat there for a few minutes, smiling gently down at the boy, stroking his hair softly, and then he leaned over to switch on the nightlight, and left the room, closing the door behind him, walking quietly into the silence of the house down the stairs, to where Emily sat on the couch waiting for him.

He slid down next to her and pulled her close to him, neither of them saying anything for a while.

"You know," she said quietly after a time, "I really do love you."

"I know," he replied, looking her right in the eye, "And I really do love you. I wouldn't say it if I didn't."

She had never been the organic type of girl; she liked adventure, taking life by the hand and flying with it, going wherever she felt when she felt like it. Stability was never something she had envisioned for herself. Weirdly, though this was the most stable relationship she had ever been in, she found herself feeling as though it were the biggest adventure, the biggest progression and step she could take.

She smiled again, the worries of her job and her dreams gone from her head. She just felt relaxed, quiet, free and easy. She snuggled closer to him and pressed a hand against his chest. When his own hand fell on top of hers and stroked her fingers gently, she teased his neck with kisses, nipping the skin and then kissing it warmly to combat the previous sensation. He closed him eyes and left her to do it, the tiredness of the day catching up to him.

"You know," he said again, "We could take this to the bedroom."

She grinned and pulled his hand, dragging him to his feet, and wandering slowly up the stairs to his bedroom, his hand held in hers tightly. She suddenly wasn't that tired anymore.


	24. Chapter Twenty Four Fragile Flower

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Criminal Minds related. Characters are merely borrowed and will be put back later. ;)**

**A/N: A new story, a sequel to this one, is on the horizon, and I've decided on my plot based on my recent oneshots and my most recent reviews.**

**It has been an absolute and undeniable pleasure to write this. Thank you so very much to all who read it, and a special thanks to those who reviewed. It's strange to be finished with it, I really loved writing it. I hope I did a good job.**

**So without further ado, I leave you- for the moment- with the very last chapter of Fair and Foul.**

**Fair and Foul**

**Chapter Twenty Four- Fragile Flower**

*******

"_...Never knew I could feel like this  
Like I've never seen the sky before  
Want to vanish inside your kiss  
Everyday I love you more and more...."_

***

Monday dawned easily and quickly, the sun flickering through cloud cover that shot grey flashes of dullness over the ground. Jack excitedly ate breakfast and was picked up by Haley, who seemed relaxed and pleased that the visit had gone well. She had wished Emily the best, said goodbye to Aaron, and walked away to take Jack to Day care- something Aaron had agreed to on a Monday, so that Jack would never be separated from her for too long.

And then he had stood in the living room, his arms wrapped around Emily, kissing her every few minutes, a voice singing of happiness in his head, his life back on track, his son a joyful rush of energy, and the woman he loved in love with him too.

It couldn't have been better. They gathered themselves and got ready for work- the first time she would go straight there without stopping off at her own house, a landmark for both of them, allowing them an extra half hours chatting in the morning. And then she was getting into her car, smiling at him as he jumped into his own just a few yards down the road. As she drove toward the BAU, she realised how much had changed in the past two months. It was incredible to think that he had once been someone she preferred to stay away from, determined to prove herself from afar so as not to have him question her, doubt her, analyse her. She had always felt inferior to him. Or at least, she had for a few months.

And then he had realised that she was a good profiler, damn good at her job albeit not his original top choice candidate for the open position. She had become an instrumental part of their team, and had become an integral part of the BAU family. She cared for Reid, joked and cajoled with Morgan to keep things light hearted, understood and trusted Rossi- something Dave reciprocated- and identified with JJ and Garcia in their sad moments and bad times. In short she kept everyone on the run- but she would never have realised how powerful a hold she had over Aaron Hotchner until two months ago.

The fact was that during a bad case, it was Emily he had watched for tips on how to separate himself from the horror. She was superb at it; he followed her lead on those cases, more often than not. Her loyalty and integrity had stood to her throughout her time at the BAU and even when it seemed Strauss was trying to manipulate her, she had backed down instead of becoming a victim.

To this day, Strauss was a quiet influence, never questioning, never bothering them; allowing them to do what they had to do in the way they had to do it. Aaron would always recall the humble pie she had had to eat; the quiet, defeated way she had thanked him and the team for saving her life. And Emily, for her part, would always remember the fact that no member of the team had tried to rub salt in the wound. Nobody had made Strauss feel any worse. Her lesson was learned, there was no need to enforce it.

Emily arrived at the office later than Aaron- having been held up by an extra traffic jam, a funeral hearse and a small crash on the road, she finally struggled into the office, exasperated at the delay but immediately smiling at JJ, calling out to ask how Henry was. She got a very happy grin in return, and a promise from JJ that they would talk as soon as she had some files covered. She passed by Reid and tuned into his pedantic ramblings, engaging him mildly but mocking him along with Morgan nonetheless. And then she pulled the one file she had managed to complete that weekend from her bag and walked to Rossi's office with it, handing it to him and asking him how his dog was.

When her small whirlwind of activity subsided, she went to her desk and sat down, smiling shyly at the sentiment in front of her.

A single stem of orchids in an elegant glass vase stood next to her laptop. It was simple, plain and utterly beautiful. She looked at Morgan.

"What's this?" she asked softly.

"Hotch came out about five minutes ago and put it on the desk. Looked damn shy about it too," Morgan laughed and winked at her. "You're blushing," he said suggestively. Emily tried to wither him with a poker face attempt, but failed miserably.

She rose from her seat and walked into Aaron's office, closing the door behind her and wandering to his desk.

"It's beautiful," she said quietly. He looked at her and smiled slightly. "I didn't know what you liked," he said, "We never seem to talk about flower preferences. I took a guess."

"And you guessed right. Orchids are my favourite," she smiled, and then she walked around the side of his desk, pulling him to his feet for a tender kiss. "I love them," she assured him, prompting him to wrap her into a warm hug, the scent from her hair easily overcoming his senses and forcing him to close his eyes and just relax with her for a few minutes.

And then came the easy knock on the door, JJ sticking her head in quietly, grinning to herself at what she saw. Aaron and Emily were comfortable enough by now to not jump away from each other, and Hotch simply asked her what she needed them for.

"There's a guy needing a consult on the phone. He's a police chief in Georgia, he wants to talk to you, Hotch."

Hotch nodded and reluctantly allowed Emily to leave his embrace, watching her move from the room with JJ, until she settled back at her desk and started her work again, file after file that had to be catalogued, organised, reports written up, photographs examined and phone calls made. This was the side of the job she disliked most; reliving the nightmare without the adrenaline rush that usually made it more possible to compartmentalise.

Within fifteen minutes, Hotch was out of his office and calling to them. They had a case and would be leaving for Georgia that very night.

"Why tonight?" Morgan asked, "Why not right now?"

"If we leave right now, none of you will get any rest at all, and I need you all fresh and ready to go on this one. So go home, get your gear together and relax for a few hours. Wheels up at 12am."

The team dispersed and got ready to leave, quickly vacating the building, many of them, Hotch noted, taking work with them which would be done in place of the "relaxing" he had ordered. He understood that; he did it himself. There was no such thing as relaxing in preparation for a case. The best thing to do was paperwork, getting back into the focus of the job, fitting profiles and thinking quietly. It worked.

Before she left, he grabbed Emily's hand. "I'll come pick you up tonight, okay?" he asked. She smiled in response and nodded her head. He was a much safer driver than she was when they were on their way to a case; it was an in joke the BAU shared. Emily Prentiss was so enthusiastic about the job that she sometimes ran stop signs.

She made her way home and settled in for the evening, turning on the television and starting her work, doing exactly what she knew the other members of the team were doing. Tea in one hand, pen in the other, she focused on the cases in front of her.

***

It was about 8.30 when there was a knock at the door. Much earlier than she'd expected him to arrive, but nonetheless, she wandered to it and pulled it open, welcoming him inside.

"I didn't expect you for a while more," she said conversationally.

"I know. But I couldn't help it," he said sheepishly. She rolled her eyes as he pulled her close with one arm, his hot breath tickling her ear softly.

"Aaron... We have to be out of here... Did you call Haley to tell her that..."

"Not for hours," he pressed, "And yes I called her..." he sighed, dragging her head backwards so that he could kiss her throat and jaw.

As soon as she felt that, she was gone, entirely overtaken by desire, just as anxious to get to him as he was to get to her. She felt him drop his bag and close the door with a soft kick, and she pulled away from him, causing him to growl slightly.

She laughed at him as she took a few steps down the hall, pulling her shirt off over her head, revealing the black lace bra she had put on expressly with him in mind- though she hadn't expected him to see it quite this soon. He pounced as she swayed farther into the living room, whipping his jacket off and catching her hips in his hands, her skin warm to the touch. His hands wandered across her stomach while his teeth and lips cautiously toyed with her neck and shoulders. He felt her shudder under him when he scratched the straps of the bra down her arms and she turned toward him, unbuttoning his shirt as quickly as she could, her nails scrawling across his chest and stomach. She felt him fumble to step out of his shoes while he kissed her mouth properly, hands pushed into her back, needing to feel her closer to him. She pushed at his suit pants until they too were discarded.

It took her only seconds to get to the couch with him, turning and twirling to get them there as quickly as she could. She battled with him for all the power between them, smiling into his mouth as she kissed him, laughing at their persistent fights for leading rights. All it took form him was some mild tickling, his fingers trailing along her sides, forcing her into giggling submission. While she laughed, he pulled her pants down and tickled her again, but she broke free of him and ran a few steps before he caught up to her, laughing with her as they tumbled onto the carpet, bumps and possible bruises forgotten.

They went quiet for a few minutes, his shirt still half on, hanging from his arms, his lips pressed against hers, body pushed against hers on the floor.

She found herself giggling again as he teasingly pulled her panties from her legs. "We didn't even make it to the couch this time," she laughed again, while he shrugged, not caring, a smile lighting up his face as he crawled back up her body, the fabric from his shirt lightly trailing against her skin, making her hyperaware of his presence above her.

It took him seconds to wriggle free of his boxers and then she was wrapped around him, her legs entwined with his, her breath coming in delicate noises, small gasps and moans. He returned her sentiments exactly and when she felt that infamous tingling bliss, he pressed his forehead against hers to share everything he could with her at right that moment.

When calm came after the storm, they noted the discomfort of the floor but ignored it for a while, still pressed together and content.

"I love you," he said once again, relishing the smile that spread across her features, a generous smile that returned his feelings absolutely. "You know I love you too," she whispered, leaning up to kiss his neck and then his warm lips, before climbing to her feet.

"Where are you going?" he wondered aloud.

"I have to take a shower before we leave," she said.

"Can I come?" he half begged.

"You can wash my hair," she winked, and wandered upstairs.

He followed her after about three seconds.

***

The plane was ready to go when they arrived together. They were the first, as Hotch always liked to be, to make sure everything was ready to go and that nothing had been forgotten. He sat with Emily and talked with her, discussing the case and the phone call he had gotten earlier in the day. They knew that they had to wait for the briefing for the full details from JJ, but it didn't prevent them speculating.

Rossi arrived last, just a few seconds after a tired looking Reid, and they all looked out the window at Quantico as the plane pulled into the air, leaving their comfort zone behind to bring them to a whole new horror.

Emily looked at the stars stretched out in the sky outside the window. She smiled at the clichéd possibilities before her, knowing that life would never be as much a fairytale as she wanted it to be. Nonetheless, she watched the stars, inklings of permanent beauty dotted over the world.

She clasped his hand and he looked at her, then he surprised her- not for the first time.

In front of the team, Aaron leaned across and kissed Emily tenderly, showing his affection openly.

And then it was down to business.

***

"_...Listen to my heart, can you hear it sing  
Telling me to give you everything  
Seasons may change winter to spring  
But I love you until the end of time..."_

_Come What May_

***


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